Baghdad: Eyad Al Jumaili, the man believed to be the deputy of Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, has been killed in an air strike, Iraqi State TV said on Saturday, citing Iraq’s military intelligence.
Al Jumaili was killed with other Daesh commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of Al Qaim, near the border with Syria, the channel said, without giving the date of the raid.
The TV described Al Jumaili as Daesh’s “second-in-command” and “war minister”.
In March, Daesh chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi reportedly fled Mosul, leaving local commanders behind to lead the battle against Iraqi forces advancing in the city.
With Iraqi troops making steady progress in their assault to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists, a US defence official said Al Baghdadi had fled to avoid being trapped inside.
It was the latest sign that Daesh is feeling the pressure from twin US-backed offensives that have seen it lose much of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria
Meanwhile, a government statement said Iraqi fighter jets carried out air strikes against Daesh outside Mosul, killing more than 100 terrorists.
Saturday’s statement says the strikes hit three Daesh targets in Baaj, a remote northwestern town near the Syrian border, and killed between 150-200 militants. It said the militants had crossed over from Syria, suggesting that Daesh still enjoys free movement across the borders.
The statement didn’t say when the strikes happened and officials were not available to offer more details. It could not be immediately verified.
Air strikes by Iraqi Air Force and US-led international coalition have been vital to the months-long operation to retake Mosul from Daesh. In January, Iraqi authorities declared eastern Mosul “fully liberated.” Fighting is underway to recapture the city’s western side.
