White House Says 2 ISIS Deputy Leaders Killed Recently

White House Says 2 ISIS Deputy Leaders Killed Recently
Sat Aug 22, 2015 10:48:25

A deputy leader of so-called “Islamic State” (IS), Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, has been killed in a U.S. military strike in northern Iraq, the White House said, according to BBC News. Also reported a second ISIS member who coordinated media, known as Abu Abdullah, was killed in the same air strike as Hayali. It comes several months after Iraqi defense officials declared another "ISIS second-in-command", Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, dead in an air strike in northern Iraq.

Hayali, also known as Hajji Mutazz, is described by U.S. officials as the second in command of the group.

They said he was killed in an attack on his car in Mosul earlier this week, and that his death would damage IS operations.

Hayali was a primary coordinator for moving large amounts of weapons, explosives, vehicles and people between Iraq and Syria, the U.S. National Security Council's Ned Price said in a statement.

In Iraq, Hayali was "instrumental in planning operations over the past two years, including the ISIS offensive in Mosul in June 2014", Price said.

He is described as "the senior deputy" to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was reportedly seriously injured in another air strike by the U.S.-led coalition in March this year.

"Hayali's death will adversely impact ISIS's operations given that his influence spanned ISIS's finance, media, operations, and logistics," Price added.

A second ISIS member who coordinated media, known as Abu Abdullah, was killed in the same air strike as Hayali. It comes several months after Iraqi defense officials declared another "ISIS second-in-command", Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, dead in an air strike in northern Iraq.

Mohammed, also known as Abu Alaa al-Afari, was killed inside a mosque hit by a strike in Tal Afar in May, they reported.

At the time, there were unconfirmed reports Afari had taken temporary charge of ISIS operations amid reports ISIS leader Baghdadi had become incapacitated.

In June this year, the U.S. claime that more than 10,000 ISIS fighters had been killed since the international coalition began its campaign against the group last summer.

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