Abu Khadija, also known as Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufayi, the leader of the ISIS terrorist group, was killed in a joint operation by Iraqi security forces and the US-led coalition.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed the news on March 14, describing Abu Khadija as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and globally.”
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The operation was carried out in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, where US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Iraqi forces conducted a precision airstrike on March 13.
Abu Khadija, ISIS’s second-in-command worldwide, played a crucial role in the group’s logistics, financial network, and operations.
US President Donald Trump announced the development on his Truth Social platform, stating that the ISIS leader was “relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters.” He added, “His miserable life was terminated, along with another ISIS member, in coordination with the Iraqi and Kurdish governments. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!”
CENTCOM later confirmed the identity of Abu Khadija through DNA analysis, revealing that he and another ISIS operative were armed and wearing unexploded suicide vests when they were killed.
