High-profile ISIS leader killed in Iraq, Trump says his ‘miserable life was terminated’

By: Gabrielle F.

A high-profile leader of ISIS, described as one of the world’s “most dangerous men,” was killed in a US air strike.

The terror group’s second in command, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, or ‘Abu Khadijah,’ was known as the “deputy caliph” of ISIS, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on X, where he announced the killing. Khadijah was in charge of a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization.

“The Iraqis continue their remarkable victories against the forces of darkness and terrorism,” added Shia al-Sudani.

President Trump applauded the terrorist leader’s demise in a Truth Social post.

“Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed,” Trump wrote.

“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.”

Forces found two dead terrorists at the strike site in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. Kadhija, along with another ISIS target, were wearing unexploded “suicide vests” and had multiple weapons, US Central Command said.

Khadijah was identified through DNA from a sample collected during a previous raid where he barely 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,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, of U.S. Central Command.

The attack was conducted by US forces, with the help of Iraqi intelligence and security forces.