Senior IS leader killed by airstrike in Kirkuk

A senior Islamic State (IS) leader and five other elements were killed as an air raid targeted a rest house, south of Kirkuk governorate, Alsumaria News reported on Tuesday.
A local source told Alsumaria News that an air raid targeted a rest house belonging to the IS on the outskirts of al-Riyad town, killing Abu Wahab al-Iraqi, an IS emir who is known as al-Aawar (the one-eyed emir), and five other elements.
“Al-Aawar was a senior leader in IS’ soldiers office and was close to the emir of the so-called state of Kirkuk,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Riyad city is still under the grip of IS.
On Saturday, an airstrike by warplanes from the United States-led coalition killed 15 Islamic State members in Kirkuk.
Islamic State has held a few havens in southwestern Kirkuk, most notably the town of Hawija, since 2014, when the group proclaimed an “Islamic caliphate” on a third of Iraq and Syria. The group had reportedly relocated commands of areas lost to security forces to Kirkuk, with some sources previously quoted saying it became the group’s new capital.