A senior Islamic State (IS) leader, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa, also known as Abu Khadija, has been killed in a joint operation by Iraqi national intelligence forces and the US-led coalition, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has announced.
Al-Rifa was described as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world” due to his role as the head of IS’s most senior decision-making body. According to US Central Command (Centcom), he was responsible for IS operations, logistics, planning, and financing on a global scale.
The operation took place in Iraq’s western Al Anbar province on Thursday. The US Central Command shared what appeared to be a video of the strike on X (formerly Twitter). Al-Rifa was killed alongside another IS operative, with both reportedly wearing unexploded suicide vests and carrying multiple weapons.
Centcom confirmed his identity using DNA collected from a previous raid, where he had “narrowly escaped.”
US President Donald Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, praised the operation, stating: “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!”
Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, emphasized the significance of the operation: “Abu Khadija was one of the most important IS members in the entire global IS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and US, allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond.”
IS once controlled vast territory across Iraq and Syria, imposing its rule on millions. Although Iraq declared victory over IS in 2017 and the group lost its last territorial stronghold in 2019, sleeper cells and militants continue to operate, launching sporadic attacks against Iraqi security forces.
Chioma Kalu
Follow us on:
