Iraqi Prime Minister Reports Death of ISIS Leader in Military Operation in Iraq and Syria

The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been eliminated in Iraq during an operation executed by the Iraqi national intelligence service in collaboration with U.S.-led coalition forces, as announced by the Iraqi prime minister on Friday.

“The Iraqi forces continue to achieve remarkable victories against the forces of darkness and terrorism,” stated Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in a message shared on X.

Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, also known as “Abu Khadija,” served as the “deputy caliph” of the radical group and was recognized as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and worldwide,” according to the announcement.

On his Truth Social platform Friday night, President Trump remarked: “Today, the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. He was relentlessly pursued by our brave warfighters” in conjunction with the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional authorities.

“PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!” Trump added.

A security official reported that the operation was executed through an airstrike in Anbar province, located in western Iraq. A second official stated that the mission occurred on Thursday night, but al-Rifai’s death was confirmed on Friday. They requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly.

This announcement coincided with the inaugural visit of Syria’s top diplomat to Iraq, where the two nations committed to working collaboratively to counter the Islamic State.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein stated during a news conference that “shared challenges face both Syrian and Iraqi societies, particularly the threats posed by IS terrorists.” He mentioned that officials discussed “in detail the movements of ISIS, whether along the Syrian-Iraqi border, within Syria, or throughout Iraq” during the visit.

Hussein mentioned an operations room established by Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon at a recent summit in Amman to tackle IS, noting it would commence operations soon.

The relationship between Iraq and Syria has been somewhat tense following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. Al-Sudani ascended to power with the backing of a coalition of Iran-affiliated factions, while Tehran was a significant 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 in 2003 and later battled against Assad’s regime in Syria.

However, Syrian interim Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani highlighted the historical connections between the two nations.

“Historically, Baghdad and Damascus have served as the epicenters of the Arab and Islamic world, sharing knowledge, culture, and economic ties,” he remarked.

Strengthening the partnership between the two countries “will not only benefit our peoples but also enhance regional stability, making us less reliant on external powers and better equipped to shape our own future,” he explained.

The operation and diplomatic visit take place amid rising concerns among Iraqi officials regarding a potential resurgence of the Islamic State following the fall of Assad in Syria.

While Syria’s new leadership — primarily from Islamist former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — has sought to confront Islamic State cells since assuming power, some express concerns about an overall security breakdown that might facilitate the group’s resurgence.

The U.S. and Iraq declared an agreement last year to gradually conclude the military mission of the American-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq by September 2025, with U.S. forces preparing to depart certain bases following two decades of military presence in the country.

When the agreement was established to conclude the coalition’s mission in Iraq, Iraqi political leaders asserted that the threat of the Islamic State was under control and that they no longer required Washington’s assistance to address the remaining cells.

However, the fall of Assad in December prompted some to reevaluate that position, including members of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of predominantly Shiite, Iran-aligned political parties that supported current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani’s ascent to power in late 2022.