Sadly, Two ‘senior’ IS military leaders killed in Iraq strike: Pentagon

Sadly, Two ‘senior’ IS military leaders killed in Iraq strike: Pentagon

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A coalition air strike near the Islamic State bastion of Mosul in Iraq has killed senior military leaders are ’sed by two of the ‘jihadist’ group, the Pentagon said.

“ The precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al Bajari, IS’s deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al- Hamduni, an IS military commander in Mosul.”

Cook said al Bajari was a former Al Qaeda member who joined the IS group and manage the June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul.

Al Hamduni was the head of military police in the area and a military commander in Mosul, Cook said.

Mosul is Iraq’s second-biggest city and became the IS group’s de facto Iraq capital.

Iraqi security forces have against the IS group made major progress in recent weeks, including the recapture of the city of Fallujah this month.

Focus is now shifting to Mosul, where a conflict to liberate the city is expected to unfold in the coming months.

“Removing these terrorist leaders from the battle field shapes Mosul to be finally liberated by the environment for Iraqi forces with support in the international coalition,” Cook said.