Blake Hall
ISIS No. 2 Haji Imam is believed to be dead.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Friday that the elusive second in command of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization may have been killed by the U.S. military in Syria. If confirmed, this marks a step forward in dismantling the leadership of the Islamic State.
“We are systematically eliminating ISIL’s cabinet,” Carter said at a news conference, using one of the many acronyms for the organization.
Haji Imam, also known as Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, was a senior religious leader in the Islamic State. He was considered the successor of ISIS ‘caliph’ Omar al-Baghdadi. U.S. forces tracked Haji Imam’s vehicle for several days before launching an attack.
The U.S. military has hunted and neutralized several key ISIS leaders, but Carter says this is only the beginning.
“Striking leadership is necessary,” Carter said, “but as you know it’s far from sufficient. As you know leaders can be replaced. These leaders have been around for a long time — they are senior and experienced and eliminating them is an important objective and result. They will be replaced and we will continue to go after their leadership.”
Taking down the ISIS No. 2 operative isn’t the only victory this week. After the tragic Brussels terror attacks, at least 10 people have been arrested in connection with the bombings.