BAGHDAD — The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been killed in Iraq. The operation was conducted by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in conjunction with U.S.-led coalition forces, according to an announcement made by the Iraqi Prime Minister on Friday.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated on X, formerly Twitter, that “The Iraqis are continuing to achieve impressive victories over the forces of darkness and terrorism.”
The statement identified Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, also known as “Abu Khadija,” as the “deputy caliph” of the militant group and “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.”
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Friday night: “Today, the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. Our intrepid warfighters relentlessly hunted him down” in collaboration with the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional government.
Trump added, “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!”
According to a security official, an airstrike in Anbar province, western Iraq, carried out the operation. A second official stated that the operation occurred Thursday night, but al-Rifai’s death was confirmed on Friday. Both officials requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak publicly.
The announcement coincided with the first visit of Syria’s top diplomat to Iraq, during which both nations pledged to cooperate in the fight against IS.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein stated at a news conference that “there are common challenges facing Syrian and Iraqi society, especially the terrorists of IS.” He added that officials discussed “in detail about the movements of ISIS, whether on the Syrian-Iraqi border, inside Syria, or inside Iraq” during the visit.
Hussein mentioned an operations room established by Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon at a recent meeting in Amman to combat IS, noting that it would soon commence operations.
Relations between Iraq and Syria are strained following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. Al-Sudani’s rise to power was supported by a coalition of Iran-backed factions, and Tehran was a key supporter of Assad. The current interim president of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, fought as an al-Qaida militant in Iraq after the U.S. invasion of 2003 and later against Assad’s government in Syria.
However, Syrian interim Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani emphasized the historical connections between the two countries.
“Throughout history, Baghdad and Damascus have been the capitals of the Arab and Islamic world, sharing knowledge, culture, and economy,” he said.
He added that strengthening the partnership between the two countries “will not only benefit our peoples but will also contribute to the stability of the region, making us less dependent on external powers and better able to determine our own destiny.”
The operation and the visit occur as Iraqi officials express concern about a possible IS resurgence following the fall of Assad in Syria.
While Syria’s new rulers – led by the Islamist former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – have been pursuing IS cells since taking power, some are worried about a potential breakdown in overall security that could enable the group to stage a resurgence.
The U.S. and Iraq announced an agreement last year to conclude the military mission in Iraq of the American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by September 2025, with U.S. forces withdrawing from some bases where they have been stationed during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.
When the agreement to end the coalition’s mission in Iraq was reached, Iraqi political leaders asserted that the threat of IS was under control and that they no longer required Washington’s assistance to combat the remaining cells.
However, Assad’s fall in December prompted some to reconsider that position, including members of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of mainly Shiite, Iran-allied political parties that brought current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to power in late 2022.
—Associated Press staff writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.