Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that a top ISIS leader in Iraq, along with another unidentified militant, was killed in an operation conducted by U.S., Iraqi, and Kurdish forces.
“Today, the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Acknowledging the role of allied forces, he added, “His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani earlier confirmed the operation, announcing the death of Abdullah Maki Musleh al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadija.
Abu Khadija was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists operating in Iraq and beyond. He held a significant position within ISIS’s leadership and was previously seen as a possible candidate for the group’s global leadership. His death marks a major blow to ISIS’s operations in the region.
