Iraqi jets bomb Islamic State rest house, kill Baghdadi’s right-hand man in Diyala
The Islamic State supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Speaking to AlSumaria News, Sadeq al-Husseini, head of the security committee of Diyala provincial council, said. “The airstrike targeted a rest house by Islamic State members in al-Zor basin, northeast of Baquba, which left two Islamic State members, one of whom was a leader. Preliminary information showed that the leader was the right-hand man of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the so-called Diyala State.”
“The targeted rest house was an important headquarter for IS, from which the group’s dormant cells are run,” Husseini added.
Earlier today, Maj. Gen. Mazhar al-Azzawi, commander of Diyala Operations, said shelling the rest house by Iraqi fighter jets left two IS members killed.
News reports said security troops shot dead Abu Walid al-Shishany, one of Baghdadi’s closest aides, while he was in a desert area on the outskirts of Kirkuk, earlier in April.
In December, Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members. However, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.
Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group.