President Trump announced Friday that ISIS's second commander was killed in Iraq this week, touting it as an example of his administration's military philosophy of “peace by strength.”
“He was mercilessly cornered by our brave fighters,” the president wrote. The true society Friday night. “His miserable life was fired, along with another member of ISIS, in cooperation with the Iraqi and Kurdish local governments. Peace by force!”
The US Central Command confirmed its operation on Friday, March 13th. According to officials, US forces, in collaboration with Iraqi forces, carried out a precise air strike in Al-Anbar province, killing Abdallah Makki Musli Al-Rifei, also known as “Abu Kadijah.”
“Abu Kadija was one of the most important ISIS members across the global ISIS organization,” said US Central Commander General Michael Eric Kurira. statement. “We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle organizations that threaten our hometown and our alliances and our partner staff.”
Another ISIS operative was killed on the strike, US officials said.
The strike was initially announced by Iraqi officials on Friday.
“Iraqis continue to have an impressive victory over the darkness and the forces of terrorism,” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shea al-Sudani said in a statement posted on Social Platform X.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses also praised the strike on Friday.
“Well done,” he wrote to X.
US officials said they found Khadijah and other ISIS surgeries dead, wearing a “suicide vest,” and identified the former via DNA testing.
This is the second strike since Trump returned to the White House to target ISIS officials.
In early February, the president ordered a precision strike in Somalia, and US officials say he killed a senior ISIS “planner.”
