Turkish intelligence helped Iraq capture high-ranking Daesh leader Sami Jasim in northwestern Syria where Ankara holds major sway, Reuters news agency reports
Daesh's cross-border"caliphate" once spanned a third of Syria and Iraq, inspiring affiliates including one in Afghanistan.
He was a deputy to group's founder Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, killed during a US raid in 2019 in Syria's northwest, and a close aide to its current leader Abu Ibrahim al Hashemi al Quraishi, the Iraqi government said. The senior regional security source said Jasim was in northwestern Syria when he was caught with help from local security forces – an apparent reference to Syrian opposition forces. One of the Iraqi sources said Iraqi intelligence agents had been tracking Jasim for months. Information from a Daesh prisoner detained last year had contributed to his capture, the second Iraqi security source said.
His capture could yield significant intelligence about the remnants of Daesh which was driven from its cross-border so-called "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq years ago but still carries out attacks in both countries.Jasim had been flown to Iraq from Turkey in a military plane, the two Iraqi security sources and an Iraqi military source close to the Iraqi military aviation service said.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Iraq announces capture of slain Daesh leader Baghdadi’s deputyIraqi forces captured a high ranking Daesh figure who served as deputy to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi has announced.
Read more »
Pakistan says Taliban 'best' to defeat Daesh as Italy hosts Afghan summitPakistan warns against sanctioning Taliban, saying it is best positioned to get rid of Daesh. Meanwhile, Italy hosts a summit of G20 nations with focus on humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
Read more »
Early results show record low turnout in Iraq electionBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq saw a record low election turnout since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, the independent body that oversees the election said Monday. The preliminary results signal widespread dissatisfaction and distrust in this weekend’s vote for a new parliament.
Read more »
Iraq says it has arrested top leader in Islamic State groupBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq said on Monday it has detained a top leader of the Islamic State group and a longtime al-Qaida operative in a cross-border operation. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted the news, identifying the man as Sami Jassem, who oversees the Islamic State group’s financial operations and served as the deputy leader of IS under the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Read more »
Shiite Cleric Sadr Emerges as Kingmaker After Iraq ElectionShiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the one-time leader of a rebellion against U.S. forces following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is poised to become the country’s key political power broker
Read more »
Shia cleric Sadr’s party claims largest bloc in Iraq electionThe political movement of Iraq's influential Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr said it retained the biggest share of seats in the country's parliament, following record-low voter turnout at Sunday's elections.
Read more »