The Iraqi Prime Minister said that personnel of the country's national intelligence service, working with coalition forces commanded by the United States, had killed the head of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,

The killing comes as the group has been reconstituting in Syria, carrying out more attacks than at any time since it lost control of its territory nearly six years ago.

US Central Command carried out an airstrike that killed Abdallah Makki Muslih al Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah. Rifai was a top leader in the Islamic State (IS) whose exact position is in dispute—likely the group’s effective second in command or caliph.