The leader of the Daesh militant group in Iraq has been killed in an operation carried out by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in collaboration with the U.S.-led coalition forces.

This was announced by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who described it as a significant victory against the terrorist group that threatens stability in the region.

"Iraq continues to achieve extraordinary victories against the forces of darkness and terrorism," al-Sudani said in a statement issued on Friday.

The suspect who was killed was identified as Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, also known as 'Abu Khadija,' who was the deputy caliph of Daesh and one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and globally, according to the statement.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump also confirmed the success of the operation via the Truth Social platform.

"Today, the head of ISIS (Daesh) who was on the run in Iraq has been killed. He was relentlessly hunted by our brave fighters," he said, emphasizing that the operation was conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government and Kurdish regional authorities.

An Iraqi security official stated that the operation took place on Thursday night through an airstrike in Anbar province, western Iraq.

The announcement of this success coincided with the first official visit of Syria's top diplomat to Iraq, where both countries pledged to strengthen cooperation in combating the remnants of Daesh.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein stated at a press conference that Iraq and Syria face common challenges in dealing with the Daesh threat, particularly in border areas between the two countries.

He also referred to the establishment of a regional operations room involving Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon in a recent meeting in Amman to enhance efforts in addressing the Daesh threat.

The announcement of Abu Khadija’s elimination comes as Iraq grows increasingly concerned about the potential resurgence of Daesh due to ongoing political turmoil in Syria.

Although Syria’s new government, led by the former Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has launched operations to dismantle Daesh sleeper cells, there are fears that instability in the country could create an opportunity for Daesh to regain strength.

Last year, the United States and Iraq reached an agreement to end the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq by September 2025, with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from several bases they have occupied for the past two decades.

However, the fall of Assad in December has reignited debates among Iraqi leaders, including the Shia political coalition that brought al-Sudani to power, about the need to reassess the Daesh threat and security cooperation with Washington.