IS confirms killing of number two in US air strike

BEIRUT: The Islamic State group’s spokesman confirmed on Tuesday the killing of the Jihadist organisation’s second in command in a US air strike earlier this year.
"America is rejoicing over the killing of Abu Mutaz al-Qurashi and considers this a great victory," Abu Mohamed al-Adnani said in an audio recording posted on jihadist websites. "I will not mourn him... he whose only wish was to die in the name of Allah... he has raised men and left behind heroes who, God willing, are yet to harm America," he added.
Adnani did not say, however, in what circumstances Qurashi died.
But the White House, in an announcement on August 22, said that Qurashi, whose real name is Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, was killed on August 18 in a US air strike near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
It said the strike targeted a vehicle and also killed an IS "media operative" known as Abu Abdullah.
The US National Security Council said at the time that Hayali was IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s senior deputy.
The White House described Hayali as a member of the IS ruling council, and "a primary coordinator for moving large amounts of weapons, explosives, vehicles and people between Iraq and Syria".