SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Iraqi intelligence provided accurate information that led to the whereabouts of Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the country’s spokesman said on Thursday.
The leader of the militant group died when he blew himself and family members up during a U.S. military raid in Syria, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday, dealing a blow to the group’s efforts to reorganize as a guerrilla force after losing large swathes of territory.
“The operation … was carried out after the Iraqi intelligence service provided the international coalition with accurate information that led to his location and killing,” said Yehia Rasool, spokesman for commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also confirmed the Iraqi security forces also played a role in the operation.
“We welcome the elimination of Daesh’s leader today,” Kadhimi said in a tweet.
“Iraq’s Security Forces have played a pivotal role in killing and capturing Daesh terrorists inside Iraq and gathering intelligence that finally led to the head of this terrorist organisation.”
A senior White House official said the U.S., the Iraqi government and other coalition partners were resolved to continue fighting ISIS and the threat to their homeland, Reuters reported.
“It’s a milestone for Haji Abdullah no longer to be walking the face of the earth,” the official told reporters, using the ISIS leader’s nickname.
It was the largest raid in the province since the 2019 U.S. assault targeting the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Idlib is broadly controlled by Turkey-backed fighters, but is also an Al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants have also found refuge in the region.
After the killing of Baghdadi in October 2019, the group named al-Qurayshi, an Iraqi who was once held in U.S. custody, as his successor.
