IS prominent leader, family, 40 others killed in airstrikes on Nineveh, Anbar borders

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) A prominent Islamic State member was killed along with around 40 others in airstrikes that hit al-Jazira region, located between Nineveh and Anbar on Friday, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported on Sunday.

“Three IS locations in al-Jazira and Tal al-banat, on the borders between Nineveh and Anbar, were targeted leaving Iyad al-Jumeily, known as abu Yahia al-Ansari, an Iraqi national, killed.” an officer from Anbar Operations Command said.

Jumeily was killed along with his wife, children and 40 other prominent members, the officer added.

Iraqi troops announced in April Jumeily’s death, however, the militant group showed him in one of its video releases.

The Joint Operations Command announced on Saturday that only fifty percent of the regions between Salahuddin and Anbar provinces were liberated. At least 15 Islamic State members were killed in airstrike by the U.S.-led Coalition jets in the western desert, the War Media Cell said in a statement.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said his country defeated Islamic State over the military level, but will declare final victory after desert areas are purged of militants.

A government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition has been fighting, since October 2016, the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.