Several credible sources are now reporting that a senior aide to the self-proclaimed leader of ISIS — some say the terror group’s number-2 commander — has been killed in clashes in northern Iraq. There’s been no official confirmation yet on the reported death of Abu Hajar al-Suri.
The Times of Israel, noting that the death of this Islamic State leader has been reported previously, says that circumstances of the most recent battle allegedly resulting in the death of this ISIS commander remain unclear:
Advertisement
The latest Lebanese and Iraqi reports indicated that the high-ranking figure had been killed in a US airstrike near Mosul. However, al-Suri, who is also known as Majed Muhammad Suhaim and Abu Hajar al-Shami, was said to be killed in a botched suicide bombing on August 22 in the Taqaba airport. On August 19, in an apparent reference to the forthcoming suicide attack, Suhaim tweeted that he was headed to paradise.
Yahoo! News carries a story that says this high-ranking ISIS leader was among a number of terrorists killed as Iraqi forces, supported by U.S. air power, continue their offensive against ISIS militants.
At least five soldiers and Kurdish armed volunteers have been killed in clashes with the IS group in northern Iraq, as the government continues its offensive against the armed Sunni group, sources have told Al Jazeera.
The clashes on Thursday also killed seven IS fighters in the Yenkoujah district of Tuz Kharmatu, in the province of Salaheddin, between the capital Baghdad and Kirkuk.
In addition to the reported killing of al-Suri, The Times of Israel says Islamist fighters have taken numerous hostages.
Also Thursday, jihadists kidnapped dozens of residents of a northern Iraq village on Thursday after villagers burned one of their positions along with a jihadist flag, police and witnesses said.
The IS terrorists had withdrawn from Tal Ali in Kirkuk province on Wednesday, but returned in force on Thursday and abducted some 50 people, the sources said.
It is not the first time IS has carried out mass kidnappings in Iraq, with the group abducting thousands of civilians as it overran minority-populated northern villages last month, according to human rights group Amnesty International.
As we know, ISIS has not hesitated to behead hostages and post barbaric videos of the bloody executions.

Image Credit: youtube | CBS News