Coalition forces killed a known terrorist leader in Mosul during a raid Monday, further depleting a terrorist network already strained by Coalition operations. Khalid Sultan Khulayf Shakir al-Badrani, also known as Abu Abdullah, was the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of western Mosul. He had a direct hand in numerous terrorist activities in the area, including kidnappings, suicide bombings and attacks on Coalition Forces. In 2005, he facilitated the movement of weapons and foreign fighters into Mosul for al-Qaeda in Iraq operations.Coalition Forces targeted Sultan during a raid on a house in Mosul. As the ground force entered the building, two men attempted to flee the scene. The ground force caught them on the roof of the building, where one man identified as al-Badrani drew a pistol. Coalition Forces, reacting appropriately to the hostile threat,
Coalition Forces have killed or detained nine terrorist leaders in Mosul since May 29, including Kamal Jalil Bakr Uthman, the al-Qaeda in Iraq military emir of Mosul, and Aman Ahmad Taha Khazam al-Juhayshi, the emir of Ansar al-Sunna in Mosul. Al-Juhayshi had returned to Iraq after fleeing in 2005 to avoid capture by Coalition Forces, and distributed jihadist media, recruited for Ansar al-Sunna and organized attacks against the Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces and Iraqi citizens. His assistant, Mahmud Jasim Muhammad Salih, was captured June 5 in Mosul.
Izz Al Din, also known as Abu Ahmad, was killed by Coalition Forces Jun 15 in Mosul. He was the head of five terrorist cells in Mosul and was responsible for directing attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.
On June 10, Coalition Forces captured Luay Rakan Aziz Mahmud, an alleged recruiting emir for the Ansar al-Sunna network in Mosul. An early morning raid by Coalition Forces May 30 netted Waad Yunis Bakr Shaykhu, a key al-Qaeda in Iraq member in Mosul responsible for coordinating attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces. Salim Jasim Husayn Nasir, suspected of heading and staffing an al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell in Mosul, was captured June 3 by Coalition Forces in Mosul.
Based on information from a previous successful operation in Anbar province, Coalition Forces targeted and captured Rafi Khudir Muhammad Mustafa June 4. Mustafa is a suspected senior terrorist leader in Mosul connected to the al-Qaeda in Iraq network, and allegedly makes decisions on enforcing religious punishments. “The leaders of the terrorist networks in Mosul, as well as their facilitators and operational cell leaders, have been significantly disrupted due to the deliberate and decisive attacks by Coalition Forces,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.
