Media: Iraq confirms death of key Islamic State leader in security operation

Iraq's Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, has confirmed the death of Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay'i, also known as Abu Khadija, a senior leader of the Islamic State (IS).

Describing him as one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world, al-Sudani stated that al-Rufay'i was killed by Iraqi security forces with the support of the US-led coalition against the IS, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The Islamic State, once in control of vast territories in Syria and Iraq, imposed a brutal Islamist regime on millions. Despite suffering significant setbacks, the group has made efforts to regain influence in the Middle East, as well as in the West and Asia.

In 2014, then-IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate over large swaths of Iraq and Syria, but he was killed in a 2019 raid by US special forces in northwest Syria, marking a major blow to the group. The US Central Command, in a report from July 2024, highlighted that IS has been attempting to rebuild its capabilities after years of decline. Their analysis pointed to a troubling uptick in violence, with the group claiming responsibility for 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria during the first half of 2024 - a rate that could more than double the number of attacks recorded the previous year.

Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay'i (Abu Khadija) was a senior leader within the Islamic State (IS), a militant jihadist group that once controlled vast territories in Iraq and Syria. As a high-ranking figure in IS, Abu Khadija played a key role in the group’s operations and strategy, particularly in the regions of Iraq.

His leadership was associated with the group's brutal enforcement of its extremist ideology. IS, under the leadership of figures like Abu Khadija, imposed harsh Sharia law in the areas it controlled, terrorizing millions of people. After the group lost its territorial strongholds following military campaigns by various forces, including Iraq's security forces and the US-led coalition, Abu Khadija continued to contribute to IS attempts to regroup and launch attacks. His death marks a significant blow to the organisation, further weakening its ability to stage a resurgence in the Middle East and beyond.

By Naila Huseynova