BAGHDAD, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said on Friday that security forces had killed a senior Islamic State (IS) leader.
Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay'i, also known as Abu Khadija, was killed in an operation by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, with support from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command and international coalition forces, al-Sudani's office said in a statement.
Abu Khadija was the group's so-called "deputy caliph" and leader in Iraq and Syria, as well as the overseer of its external operations, the statement said. He was described as one of the world's most dangerous terrorists, though no details were provided on when or where he was killed.
Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State in 2017, but the group continues to wage attacks on security forces and civilians in urban areas, deserts, and remote regions. ■
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