Iraq captures high-ranking Isis leader wanted by US
- Captured jihadist identified as ‘Sami Jasim’, who oversaw Isis finances
- He served as deputy leader under the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Iraq said on Monday it has detained a top leader of Islamic State and a long-time al-Qaeda operative in a cross-border operation.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted the news, identifying the man as Sami Jasim, who oversees Islamic State’s financial operations and served as the deputy leader of Isis under the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
He described it as “one of the most difficult” cross border intelligence operations ever conducted by Iraqi forces.
Iraqi intelligence officials said that Jasim was detained in an unidentified foreign country and transported to Iraq few days ago.
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Jasim worked with al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, before he was killed by the Americans in Iraq in 2016. He assumed various security positions in Iraq, and moved to Syria in 2015, after Isis, an al-Qaeda offshoot, declared its caliphate in 2014 and became the deputy of Baghdadi, the extremist group’s leader.