Iraqi security forces don kill one big Islamic State (IS) leader wey dey in charge of foreign operations, na wetin di country prime minister tok. Later, US President Donald Trump also confirm say dem don end di man “miserable life.”
Even though Iraq don announce say dem defeat IS since 2017, di group still dey do small-small attacks for di country.
Di prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, talk for social media say Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufayi “na one of di most dangerous terrorists for Iraq and di world.”
Di US don sanction Rufayi since 2023, and di prime minister tok say him be di IS leader for Iraq and Syria and also di person wey dey control foreign operations.
E no tok di exact time dem kill Rufayi, but e hail di Iraqi intelligence team wey work with di US-led anti-jihadist coalition to track di man down.
Trump, for him own side, tok say “Today, di fugitive ISIS leader for Iraq don die.” E add say US forces plus Iraqi and Kurdish government work together to hunt di man down.
Di US Central Command share one video for social media, say na di strike wey kill di “Global ISIS number 2 leader” and another IS fighter. Dem also confirm say di two men wear suicide vest wey never explode, and DNA test show say Rufayi na di real person wey dem target.
For October last year, Iraq say dem kill nine IS commanders, including di so-called governor of IS for Iraq, Jassim al-Mazrouei Abu Abdel Qader.
Di IS group bin take over large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declare one “caliphate” and do plenty wickedness before Iraqi forces and international coalition defeat dem in 2017. By 2019, dem lose di last land wey dem hold for Syria.
But di group still dey operate for Syria desert and dey do small-small attacks for rural areas of Iraq.
Right now, about 2,500 US troops still dey Iraq, but di country believe say dia security forces don strong enough to fight di terrorists. US and Iraq don agree say di international coalition go end dia mission for federal Iraq by September 2025 and for Kurdistan region by 2026.
