White House: “Islamic State” second-in-command killed in U.S. air strike

The second-in-command of the so-called Islamic State militant group was killed during a U.S. air strike in Iraq, the White House said on Friday, dealing a blow to the group that has sought to form a caliphate across the Muslim world.

“Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, also known as Hajji Mutazz was killed in a U.S. military air strike while traveling in a vehicle near Mosul, Iraq, along with an ISIS media operative known as Abu Abdullah,” White House spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

The White House added that the dead leader was a “primary coordinator” for moving weapons, explosives, vehicles, and people between Iraq and Syria. He was in charge of operations in Iraq and helped plan the group’s offensive in Mosul in June of last year.