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| Airstrike kills two Isis military leaders in Iraq Airstrike kills two Isis military leaders in Iraq | |
| (3 months later) | |
| A US-led coalition airstrike near the Islamic State bastion of Mosul in Iraq has killed two of its senior military leaders, a spokesman for the Pentagon has said. | A US-led coalition airstrike near the Islamic State bastion of Mosul in Iraq has killed two of its senior military leaders, a spokesman for the Pentagon has said. |
| “Coalition forces conducted an airstrike against two Isil senior military commanders on 25 June near Mosul, Iraq, resulting in their deaths,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement on Friday, using a different acronym for Isis. | “Coalition forces conducted an airstrike against two Isil senior military commanders on 25 June near Mosul, Iraq, resulting in their deaths,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement on Friday, using a different acronym for Isis. |
| “The precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, Isil’s deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al-Hamduni, an Isil military commander in Mosul.” | “The precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, Isil’s deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al-Hamduni, an Isil military commander in Mosul.” |
| Cook said al-Bajari was a former al-Qaida member who joined Isis and oversaw the June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul. | Cook said al-Bajari was a former al-Qaida member who joined Isis and oversaw the June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul. |
| He “also led the Isil Jaysh al-Dabiq battalion known for using vehicle-borne IEDs (homemade bombs), suicide bombers and mustard gas in its attacks”. | He “also led the Isil Jaysh al-Dabiq battalion known for using vehicle-borne IEDs (homemade bombs), suicide bombers and mustard gas in its attacks”. |
| Al-Hamduni was a military commander in Mosul and the head of military police in the region, Cook said. Mosul is Iraq’s second largest city and became the de facto capital of Isis in Iraq. | Al-Hamduni was a military commander in Mosul and the head of military police in the region, Cook said. Mosul is Iraq’s second largest city and became the de facto capital of Isis in Iraq. |
| Iraqi security forces have in recent weeks made significant progress against the militants, including the recapture of Falluja. | Iraqi security forces have in recent weeks made significant progress against the militants, including the recapture of Falluja. |
| Attention is shifting to Mosul, where a battle to liberate the city is expected to unfold in the coming months. | Attention is shifting to Mosul, where a battle to liberate the city is expected to unfold in the coming months. |
| “Removing these terrorist leaders from the battlefield shapes the environment for Iraqi forces to ultimately liberate Mosul with support from the international coalition,” Cook said. | “Removing these terrorist leaders from the battlefield shapes the environment for Iraqi forces to ultimately liberate Mosul with support from the international coalition,” Cook said. |