ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Friday announced the killing of the Islamic State (ISIS) Deputy Caliph and so-called “Wali of Iraq and Syria.”

In a post on X, Sudani said that senior ISIS leader Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay'i, nicknamed Abu Khadija, was killed in an operation of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, with support and coordination from the Joint Operations Command and the US-led global coalition.

“He held the so-called position of (Deputy Caliph), in addition to serving as the so-called Wali of Iraq and Syria, head of the Authorized Committee, and overseer of external operations offices,” read the statement from Sudani, describing Rufay'i as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.”

Despite being territorially defeated in 2017, ISIS militants continue to pose a security threat in Iraq through hit-and-run operations and attacks on remote areas. Iraqi forces have intensified their efforts to eliminate these remnants, especially in provinces like Kirkuk, Anbar, and Nineveh, where ISIS cells remain active.

Iraqi security forces in February revealed the identities of seven suspected ISIS members killed in airstrikes in late January, including the group’s so-called “Wali of Kirkuk,” and two other senior leaders.

In November, Iraqi PM Sudani reiterated support for the security forces in their pursuit of ISIS remnants, stressing that “there is no place for terrorists in Iraq” and that armed forces will continue their operations until the country is “cleansed” from ISIS.

Iraqi security forces arrested over 500 terror suspects in 2024, according to data from the Iraqi National Security Service.