US military: Iraqi forces killed ‘top’ ISIS official in country
US military: Iraqi forces killed ‘top’ ISIS official in country
2024-10-18 07:30
Shafaq News/ The US military confirmed today, Friday, that the Iraqi security forces killed four ISIS elements, including a senior leader, following precise airstrikes that took place in northeastern Iraq.
The US Central Command said in a statement that the strikes, launched by Iraqi forces last Monday, resulted in the killing of the so-called “governor of Kirkuk” Allawi al-Bajari, who is considered “the highest-ranking official in ISIS in northern Iraq.”
The statement added that initial assessments after the strike showed the presence of explosive belts and a large number of weapons, explosives and ammunition, while no civilian casualties were recorded.
The statement indicated that the strikes, which aimed to disrupt and dismantle ISIS networks, were carried out with the support of the US-led international coalition forces against the organization in Iraq and Syria.
The statement quoted the commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, as saying that “ISIS continues to pose a threat to the region, the United States and its allies.”
Iraqi security forces, along with the US military, carried out an operation that resulted in the killing of 15 ISIS members in desert areas in Anbar, the largest Iraqi province that shares borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Last month, Iraqi security forces, along with the US military, carried out an operation that resulted in the killing of 15 ISIS members in desert areas in Anbar, the largest Iraqi province that shares borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The Iraqi Intelligence Service confirmed at the time that among those killed were “dangerous leaders who had taken refuge in the Anbar desert.”
In 2014, ISIS declared the establishment of a “caliphate” after seizing control of large areas in Iraq and neighboring Syria. But its “state” collapsed less than three years later due to military operations against it in both countries.
A UN report in July said the number of ISIS members in Iraq and Syria currently ranges between “1,500 and 3,000 fighters.”
The report confirmed that the organization “is still capable of launching sporadic and effective attacks, and it carries out operations within small groups of no more than five individuals in rugged areas.
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