Senior ISIS Leader Abdallah al-Rufayi Killed in US-Iraq Airstrike

Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rufayi, a senior Islamic State leader known as 'Abu Khadija,' was killed in a joint airstrike operation conducted by Iraqi intelligence and U.S. forces in Iraq's Anbar province. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani described him as one of the most dangerous terrorists globally, responsible for ISIS's global operations and financial planning. The U.S. Central Command confirmed that al-Rufayi's death, alongside another operative, was verified through DNA analysis, marking a significant blow to ISIS's command structure. President Donald Trump hailed the operation as a decisive victory in the fight against terrorism, emphasizing the collaboration between U.S., Iraqi, and Kurdish forces. Despite the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2017, concerns persist regarding the group's resurgence in rural areas of Iraq and Syria. Both Iraq and the U.S. continue to reinforce their efforts against ISIS to ensure regional stability.