The Iraqi prime minister said the "elimination" of Al Rufay'i was carried out in a joint operation with the US-led international coalition.
El Government of Iraq announced this Friday the death de Abdullah Makki Musli al Rufay'i, alias Abu Khadija, leader of the jihadist organization Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria.
El Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohamed Shia al Sudani confirmed the operation on his social media account X, where he reported that the “elimination” of Al Rufay'i was carried out in a joint operation with the international coalition led by U.S.
“The heroes of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, with the support and coordination of the Joint Operations Command and the International Coalition forces, succeeded in eliminating the terrorist Abdullah Maki Musleh al-Rifai, nicknamed Abu Khadija, who holds the position of vice-caliph” of the organization.
The announcement did not include further details about the exact location or the progress of the operation.
Al Rufay'i was identified as an “adjutant of the caliphate” and held the position of ISIS governor in Iraq and Syria, besides being the head of the Authorizations Committee of the group and the supervisor of its external operationsHis role within the group's structure made him one of the most wanted men in the fight against terrorism.
El United States Department of State had included it in his list de Specially Designated Global Terrorists on June 8, 2023, due to his involvement in the group's attacks and operations.
“He was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.”", said Al Sudani, who called the operation one of the "remarkable victories" of the Iraqi security forces against terrorism.
“We congratulate Iraq, the Iraqi people, and all peace-loving nations on this important security achievement.”He said.
Iraq and Syria coordinate new efforts against the Islamic State
The announcement of the death of Al Rufay'i, designated as the “vice-caliph” of the Islamic State, coincides with the conversations between Iraq and Syria on the creation of a joint operations room to confront the threat of the jihadist group.
Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, visited this Friday Baghdad for the first time and met with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, to discuss the creation of a joint operations room to combat threats from the Islamic State (ISIS).
"We need information sharing and regional and international cooperation to fight ISIS," Hussein said in an appearance alongside Al-Shaibani. According to the Iraqi minister, the operations room will be established "soon" with the cooperation of Syria's neighboring countries.
For his part, Al Shaibani stressed the need to strengthen bilateral security and remain "firm" against "any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs" of both countries. "We are ready to strengthen cooperation with Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State along the border." The security of Syria is the security of Iraq”He said.
The head of Syrian diplomacy also highlighted the challenges his country faces after the fall of the regime. Bashar al Assad, ensuring that “The only one who can understand it is Iraq”, referring to the national reconstruction “after a great war and crimes against civilians.”
Baghdad has maintained a cautious stance towards the new reality in Syria, given its close ties with Iran, the main ally of the ousted Syrian dictator.
(With information from Europa Press/EFE)
Source: INFOBAE