The car targeted by the Iraqi Air Force

Iraq's Security Media Cell confirmed Thursday the killing of ISIS' "Wali" (ruler) of Al-Anbar and one of his aides in an airstrike in the Rutba desert.

In a statement, the Media Cell announced that following careful intelligence, the Iraqi aircraft managed to target the vehicle that was carrying the terrorist, Muthanna Khidr Kamel Shatran, nicknamed Abu Malukah, and one of his assistants.

The statement read that with "unrelenting" determination, various Iraqi security units continue to hunt down ISIS remnants and leaders.

الاستخبارات العسكرية
تتمكن من استهداف ابو ملوكة ، الوالي العسكري للأنبار ، بعد ملاحقته لأكثرِ من عامين بين صحراء نينوى وصحراء الأنبار، هذهِ الضربة ستُربك التنظيم وتُضعف من قدرتهِ لأعادةِ شتاتهِ عملياتياً وهيكلياً. pic.twitter.com/auRTFpPXYC
— فاضل ابو رغيف (@fadhil_abu_ragh) February 17, 2022

For his part, a spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Major General Yahya Rasool also tweeted that the Iraqi Air Force Command carried out a successful airstrike in the Al-Tabat area in Al-Anbar, which resulted in the killing of an ISIS leader and his aide.

بناءً على معلومات استخبارية دقيقة، نفذت قيادة القوة الجوية، ضربة جوية ناجحة في منطقة الطبعات ضمن محافظة #الانبار، أسفرت عن تدمير عجلة للإرهابيين وقتل عنصرين من إرهابيي #داعش كان أحدهم يشغل منصب مايسمى بوالي الانبار الملقب " ابو ملوكة" pic.twitter.com/TJvNrm3yY6
— يحيى رسول | Yehia Rasool (@IraqiSpoxMOD) February 17, 2022

A few days ago, the Military Spokesperson for Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades Jaafar Al-Husseini said the goal behind the military presence in Al-Anbar Governorate is the prevention of having any security gaps and countering ISIS.

The military force that had entered Al-Anbar was deployed in Al-Karmah, he added, amid information that ISIS was planning on entering the area.