Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement that Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa, better known as Abu Khadija, was killed in an operation led by Iraqi national intelligence forces and the U.S.-led coalition.
That raid happened in the west of Iraq, in a place known as Al Anbar province. It was confirmed by the U.S. Central Command, which released footage of the strike. Al-Rifa was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and beyond, leading IS’s most senior decision-making body overseeing operations, logistics, and global financial networks.
CENTCOM said al-Rifa was found and killed with one other IS operative; both were wearing unexploded suicide vests and were carrying a number of weapons. Intelligence officials confirmed the identification of al-Rifa through DNA analysis, using samples collected during the previous raid in which he narrowly escaped capture.
“Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government. PEACE THROUGH… pic.twitter.com/gB68jMpd64
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) March 15, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump saluted the mission as a testament to the relentless pursuit of security in the world: “His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government,” he said in a post on Truth Social. “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!”
The head of CENTCOM, General Michael Erik Kurilla, underlined what the strike meant: “Abu Khadija was one of the most important IS members in the whole global organization. We will continue to eliminate terrorists and dismantle organizations that threaten the U.S. and our allies.”
Though Iraq declared it defeated in December 2017 and the terrorist organization lost its last stronghold in 2019, sleeper cells still remain active. Militants still attack Iraqi army and police forces from time to time, underscoring the threat IS continues to pose.
Analysts say that the killing of al-Rifa” is a severe blow to IS leadership and may affect the jihadist group’s operational and financial networks. However, experts say that IS has proved resilient, and its factions have continued to operate throughout much of Iraq and Syria, in addition to beyond. Washington and Baghdad have vowed more counterterrorism and pledged to keep up the pressure on remnants of IS. Intelligence officials say the threat from terrorists will not be fully eliminated so long as IS can reconsolidate and radicalize new members.
While this strike is a big win for coalition forces, the fight against IS is far from over. Iraqi and US officials continue to stress the importance of vigilance, intelligence sharing, and military cooperation to keep IS at bay.
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