Hunt for Iraqi IS leaders continues amid heightened secrecy
The Islamic State has employed higher levels of secrecy about its commanders since 2018, leading to greater confusion about its hierarchy. The search nevertheless continues for its commanders, most of whom are believed to be of Iraqi origin but are currently in Syria.
BAGHDAD — As the fourth phase of Operation Will of Victory gets underway in Iraq to hunt down Islamic State (IS) remnants, attempts to understand who the current top IS military leaders are is proving frustrating.
Several Iraqi security analysts and Deir ez-Zor sources have told Al-Monitor that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other key Iraqi leaders are mostly believed to be in Syria. But beyond that, scant information is available.
