Islamic State Leader Killed in Iraq, Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani Confirms

Iraqi security forces, with the support of the US-led coalition, have killed Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced on Friday, Reuters reported.

His death marks a significant blow to the Islamic State, which has been attempting to regroup and regain its operational capabilities after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a US special forces raid in northwest Syria.

In July last year, the US Central Command reported that Islamic State militants were working to reconstitute following years of setbacks. Intelligence assessments suggest the group claimed responsibility for 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria in the first half of 2024, a rate that, if sustained, would more than double the number of attacks from the previous year, the report stated.

Prime Minister al-Sudani, who described Muslih al-Rufay’i as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world,” emphasised Iraq’s commitment to eradicating terrorism and ensuring national security, pledging that his government would continue its efforts to dismantle IS networks.

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