A top Islamic State (IS) leader in Iraq and Syria, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah, has been killed in an operation involving Iraqi intelligence and US-led coalition forces, according to Iraq's prime minister. 

Rifai was regarded as one of the most dangerous terrorists worldwide and played a key role in IS's decision-making, logistics, and financing. The US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed that he was killed in a precision airstrike in Iraq's Al Anbar province. 

US President Donald Trump stated that Rifai was "relentlessly hunted down" and confirmed his death alongside another IS operative. Both were found wearing unexploded suicide vests and carrying multiple weapons. DNA analysis confirmed Rifai's identity after a previous raid in which he had narrowly escaped. 

Centcom commander Gen Michael Erik Kurilla emphasized that Rifai was a crucial figure in IS's global operations. He reaffirmed the commitment to dismantling terrorist networks that pose a threat to the US and its allies. 

IS once controlled vast territories across Iraq and Syria, ruling over millions. Although Iraq declared IS defeated in 2017 and the group lost its final stronghold in 2019, IS sleeper cells continue to carry out attacks in parts of the country.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q451y218go