By Samah Abdel Fattah | 2025-03-20

The top deputy of the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) was killed in a March 13 airstrike in Iraq's Anbar province carried out by US forces, in cooperation with Iraqi intelligence and security forces, the US military said.

Another ISIS operative also was killed in the strike.

As the emir of the group's most senior decision-making body, ISIS #2 and operations chief Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai (aka "Abu Khadijah") "maintained responsibility for operations, logistics and planning conducted by ISIS globally."

He directed "a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization," the US military said.

The move comes as regional and US-led international coalition forces step up operations targeting ISIS operatives in Iraq and Syria.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on March 6 captured an ISIS cell leader in a raid near Shahil in eastern Syria, with technical support and intelligence from US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The SDF seized multiple weapons during the raid, including a high-caliber sniper rifle, an AK-47 and hand grenades.

Security forces closed in on the main hideout of ISIS cell leader Salah Mohammad al-Abdullah "after days of surveillance," said Adnan Azadi, an official with the Asayesh (Kurdish internal security forces).

The forces had been "waiting for the right moment after confirming his presence," he told Al-Fassel.

Other recent successes include the capture, in the Syrian town of al-Busayrah, of ISIS operative Khaled Marbad Obeid (aka "Abu Omar"), responsible for weapons and ammunition distribution, said SDF officer Farhad Khoja.

The SDF also arrested Islam Marouf (aka "Islam Khafaji"), who is under investigation for attacks against security forces and civilians in al-Hasakeh and Deir Ezzor provinces, he told Al-Fassel.

Marouf is accused of working with the former Syrian regime and ISIS, he said.

Coordinated operations

"Security operations in northern and eastern Syria continue almost daily, thanks to full cooperation between US-led coalition forces and the SDF," Khoja said, noting that ISIS's operational capacity continues to weaken across the region.

"These operations have led to excellent results through the arrest of former members still planning attacks against military forces and civilians," he said.

"A counterterror operation begins with field reports and daily surveillance backed by CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, before moving to aerial monitoring through drones and satellite imagery," Azadi said.

Security forces then map the locations of hideouts and detailed patterns of movements.

"Operations are carefully timed to minimize civilian risk, with most operations taking place during safe times at night to avoid," he said.

ISIS remnants are few in number and isolated, typically operating alone or in small cells of two to three members, Khoja said.

The civilian population can play a key role in dismantling these cells by reporting "suspicious movements, unidentified individuals or unusual activities," he added.