IS's second-in-command killed in US air strike: White House

The White House said on Friday that Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, the second-in-command of the extremist group the Islamic State (IS), was killed in a US air strike on August 18 while travelling in a vehile near Mosul, Iraq. Also known as Hajji Mutazz, al-Hayali supported IS operations in Syria and Iraq and was in charge of the group's operations in Iraq, said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price in a statement. Al-Hayali was also a primary coordinator for moving large amounts of weapons, explosives, vehicles, and people between Iraq and Syria, added Price. The death of al-Hayali, who was instrumental in planning various operations, including the IS offensive in Mosul in June 2014, was a blow to IS's operations given that his influence spanned ISIL's finance, media, operations, and logistics, Price said. Also killed in the air strike was an Islamic State media operative known as Abu Abdullah.