Iraq, coalition partners had been on trail of IS commander a 'long time'

Iraq announced Jan. 28 that its US-trained Counterterrorism Services in coordination with national intelligence had conducted an operation leading to the killing of the commander of Islamic State remnants in the country, in an "insurgent-infested" valley of the oil-rich, disputed southern Kirkuk province.
A member of the Iraqi federal police forces sits inside an armoured vehicle at a checkpoint in a street in the capital Baghdad on January 29, 2021, during tightened security measures, a day after a man identified as the top Islamic State (IS) group figure in the country was killed. - Iraq's premier announced yesterday that the military had killed the man, a week after an IS attack in Baghdad killed more than 30 people. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi said IS's Iraq "wali", or governor, Abu Yasser al-Issaw
A member of the Iraqi federal police forces sits inside an armored vehicle at a checkpoint in a street in the capital Baghdad during tightened security measures, a day after a man identified as the top Islamic State figure in the country was killed, Iraq, Jan. 29, 2021. - Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images
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Shelly Kittleson
@shellykittleson

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister announced Jan. 28 that a military operation launched after a double suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State (IS) a week before had killed the top-ranked IS commander in the country.

IS’ "wali" for Iraq, known as Abu Yasser al-Issawi, was shot in the head. Photos of his dead body circulated shortly after the announcement in WhatsApp groups, blurred on a tweet by the Counterterrorism Services (CTS), which was responsible for the operation in coordination with the national intelligence services.

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