US military: ISIS No.2 leader killed in Iraq

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  • US military: ISIS No.2 leader killed in Iraq

The US military says the number two leader of the Islamic State militant group has been killed in an airstrike in western Iraq.

The US Central Command announced on Friday that the attack killed Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as "Abu Khadijah," and another ISIS operative.

It said US forces carried out the strike in Iraq's Anbar Province in cooperation with the country's intelligence and security personnel.

The Central Command said that Abu Khadijah had maintained responsibility for operations, logistics and planning conducted by ISIS globally. It added that he had also directed a significant portion of finance for the group's global organization.

US President Donald Trump also disclosed the news on social media on Friday. He wrote, "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!"

ISIS unilaterally proclaimed the establishment of a caliphate in a region straddling large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014. It subsequently lost most of the territory as a result of military operations by the US and other forces.

However, analysts warn that the group could resurge by exploiting the turmoil in Syria that has followed the demise of then-President Bashar al-Assad's administration last December.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War says the Assad regime's sudden collapse has provided ISIS with an opportunity to seize large weapons stockpiles from Syrian military bases.

Source: NHK World

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