Deputy of Islamic State’s Baghdadi killed in Iraqi airstrike: Intelligence source
US-led coalition aircraft. File photo.
Abu Abdul Rahman al-Tamimi al-Eteibi al-Jizrawi, the deputy of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an Iraqi airstrike, the channel quoted an intelligence source as saying without giving details about the circumstances of killing him.
Jizrawi, according to the channel, was killed depending on information collected by the Iraqi intelligence.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Media News Agency quoted Hisham al-Hashimi, an expert on terrorist groups affairs, as saying that Jizrawi was killed in a joint operation by the Iraqi intelligence and the U.S.-led Coalition as they launched an airstrike in al-Hijin region, east of Syria, on January 20.
“The airstrike is considered the fourth for the Iraqi intelligence in less than six months. The death of Abu Saleh Hifa (Iyad al-Ebeidi), Baghdadi’s deputy, was confirmed after Abu Ali al-Anbari then the death of Abu Yahia al-Iraqi (Iyad al-Jumeili), Baghdadi’s deputy, after Abu Saleh Hifa,” Hashimi added.
The third strike, according to Hashimi, “resulted in arresting Abu Zeid al-Iraqi (Ismail Elwan al-Eithawi).”
Earlier this month, the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s Falcon Intelligence Cell said Baghdadi was seriously wounded during an operation in July and that his health condition does not allow him to be the leader as before. He barely moves without help. News reports mentioned that Baghdadi is included in a new list of 60 persons sought by Iraqi security authorities for terrorism-related charges.
The Russian agency Sputnik quoted, in January, several experts in Islamist groups affairs as saying that Baghdadi is likely to be in Africa, being the safest place at the meantime for the militant group.