ISIS leader ‘Abu Khadijah’ targeted in Iraq

On March 13th, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufayi, also known as ‘Abu Khadijah,’ was killed. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani characterized him on X as ‘one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and in the world.’ Abu Khadijah held the position of second-in-command within ISIS, overseeing the organization’s foreign operations. Despite Iraq’s declaration of victory over the jihadists within its borders in 2017, isolated cells of the group have persisted in their activities. The aforementioned terrorist was targeted in a precise raid in the Anbar province of Iraq. This operation was executed by the United States Central Command, in conjunction with Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish regional government. As reported by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), Abu Khadijah and another terrorist were found deceased by CENTCOM personnel and Iraqi units following the raid. Both individuals were wearing explosive vests and were in possession of multiple weapons.