Iraqi PM declares capture of deputy of late IS leader al-Baghdadi

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday announced the arrest of high-ranking member of the Islamic State (IS), Sami Jasim, in an operation outside Iraq.

The Iraqi Intelligence Service carried out a complex operation outside the country to arrest Jasim, who was in charge of IS financial affairs and a deputy of former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the prime minister said on his Twitter page. Al-Baghdadi died in 2019.

Al-Kadhimi did not provide further details about when and where exactly the operation took place.

A statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that Jasim was captured in an operation outside Iraq’s borders without giving further details.

Jasim is close to a committee in charge of running the extremist group and to the group’s current leader Abdullah Qaradash, according to a command statement.

Iraqi forces have intensified efforts to confront the increasing activities of the IS and its deadly attacks in the provinces previously controlled by the militants, which have left dozens dead and wounded.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi forces defeated the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.