Iraq Announces Death of Senior Islamic State Leader

Iraqi officials confirmed the death of one of the Islamic State's top leaders, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i, also known as Abu Khadija, in what is described as a U.S.-supported operation. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called the killing a "significant security achievement," though he did not provide details on the timing or circumstances of al-Rufay'i’s death.

Iraqi special forces later stated that al-Rufay’i was killed on Thursday in an airstrike in Iraq’s Anbar desert. The strike followed a two-year intelligence effort to track his location, with breakthroughs occurring in the past six months. In a subsequent operation, seven additional IS members, including two women, were arrested, and five more individuals were detained in Irbil, northern Iraq, based on intelligence gathered from the strike site.

Al-Rufay’i, who served as the deputy caliph of IS, was a key figure in the group's operations across Iraq, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East, playing a central role in IS’s external operations. He was also part of the group’s executive body, known as the delegated committee.

U.S. officials have not yet commented on Iraq’s announcement. While estimates suggest that there are between 1,500 and 3,000 IS fighters in Iraq and Syria, U.S. officials had previously warned of a potential resurgence of the group, noting an increase in attacks in both countries.

Despite these operations, recent U.N. intelligence indicates that IS continues to adapt, maintaining the ability to operate and replace its field commanders. Intelligence also suggests that while Iraq and Syria remain central to IS’s ideology, the group’s leadership may have shifted, with Abdul Qadir Mumin, currently based in Somalia, now seen as leading IS operations globally.

The growing threat of IS is highlighted by recent successes in Somalia, where forces in Puntland have pushed the group out of key areas in their ongoing campaign to capture Mumin and other high-ranking leaders. However, no traces of Mumin have been found so far.