Senior Islamic State leader killed in Iraq, Trump says his ‘miserable life was terminated’

U.S. President Donald Trump reacted by saying al-Rifai’s “miserable life was terminated.” (Getty Images)
FOX NEWS | Published March 15, 2024

‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!’ Trump said

The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been killed, Iraq’s prime minister announced on Friday.

Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, or “Abu Khadija,” was killed in an operation by members of the Iraqi national intelligence service along with U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement.

The prime minister described al-Rifai as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.”

U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the news on his social media platform Truth Social, saying al-Rifai’s “miserable life was terminated.”

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani described al-Rifai as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.” (AP)

“Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed,” Trump wrote Friday night. “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 STRENGTH!” the president added.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and security forces, conducted an airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the “Global ISIS #2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias ‘Abu Khadijah,’ and one other ISIS operative.”

“As the Emir of ISIS’ most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization,” CENTCOM said.

ISIS soldier holding a flag
Islamic State/Iraq/Syria: A masked Islamic State soldier poses holding the ISIL banner somewhere in the deserts of Iraq or Syria. ISIL publicity image, 2015.  (Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

After the strike, U.S. and Iraqi forces moved to the location of the strike and found both dead ISIS targets who were each wearing unexploded “suicide vests” and who had multiple weapons, CENTCOM said.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, left, speaks during a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, left, speaks during a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein following their meeting, in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, March14, 2025. (AP)

U.S. and Iraqi forces were able to identify al-Rifai using DNA collected in a previous raid where he narrowly escaped.

“Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander at CENTCOM, said in a statement.

 

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SOURCE: www.foxnews.com

RELATED: Trump Announces the Killing of Fugitive ISIS Leader

TOWNHALL | Published March 15, 2024

President Donald Trump has announced that the fugitive leader of ISIS, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, in Iraq, has been killed, marking a significant blow to the terror group.

In a statement, Trump revealed that the operation was a result of coordinated efforts, eliminating a key figure in ISIS leadership. The news highlights ongoing efforts to dismantle the remnants of ISIS and disrupt its operations, signaling progress in the fight against global terrorism.

“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 STRENGTH!” Trump wrote on Friday. 

 

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SOURCE: www.townhall.com

 

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