CENTCOM announces killing second-in-command ISIS leader in Iraq
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday that it had eliminated the second-in-command leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq.
In an official statement, CENTCOM confirmed that its forces had “killed the Global ISIS #2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias “Abu Khadijah”, and one other ISIS operative,” in Iraq’s Anbar Governorate.
The statement added that U.S. forces, in coordination with Iraqi intelligence and security agencies, conducted a precision airstrike in Anbar, targeting key ISIS figures.
CENTCOM highlighted that al-Rifai, as Emir of the Delegated Committee—the highest decision-making body within ISIS—oversaw the group’s global operations, logistics, and strategic planning. He was also a key figure in managing ISIS’s financial networks worldwide.
General Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, stated “Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond.”