Baghdad – Iraqs Defence Ministry said on Wednesday the second most senior member of Daesh had been killed in a coalition air strike on a mosque where he was meeting with other militants in the north of the country.
Based on accurate intelligence, an air strike by the coalition forces targeted the second in command of Daesh, Abu Alaa Al Afari, the ministry said in a statement on its website.
Abu Alaa Al Afari, whose real name is Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, is an ethnic Turkmen from the town of Tel Afar in northwestern Iraq, and is thought to be second in command of Daesh after self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.
The Pentagon said it was aware of the reports but could not confirm them.
Baghdadi was recently reported to have been incapacitated by a coalition airstrike in the same part of Iraq, and Afari was tipped to assume leadership of the organisation. The Pentagon in Washington has denied those reports, saying Baghdadi remains capable of directing operations and was not wounded in any strike.
A coalition of more than 60 countries led by the United States launched a campaign last summer to degrade and destroy Daesh, a militant group that had seized large areas of Iraq and Syria.
The coalition has been conducting airstrikes against the group in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
On its website, the Iraqi defence ministry posted footage of the air strike on the Martrys Mosque in the village of Al Iyadhiya near Tel Afar, where Afari was a teacher and well-known preacher, according to a local official who asked to remain anonymous.
There was no way to independently confirm the defence ministry statement, and the Iraqi government has previously announced the death of Daesh militants only for them to resurface alive.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
