Top ISIS Leader Killed in U.S.-Iraq Airstrike

Makki Muslih al-Rufaji, the second-highest leader of ISIS, was killed in a coordinated airstrike in Iraq’s Al-Anbar province.

Makki Muslih al-Rufaji, identified as the global number two of ISIS, was killed in a joint U.S.-Iraq airstrike in Al-Anbar province.
Al-Rufaji served as the ISIS governor for Syrian and Iraqi provinces and was responsible for coordinating international operations.
The U.S. Central Command released footage of the airstrike, confirming the operation's success.
This marks a significant blow to ISIS, which continues to operate through sleeper cells despite losing territorial control in 2017.
The U.S. and Iraq have agreed to end the anti-ISIS coalition's mission in Iraq by September 2026, including withdrawal from the Kurdish region.