Top Islamic State commander Haji Imam, whose real name is Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, was killed in an airstrike earlier this month, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said Friday. Carter would not disclose the details of the airstrike, including where it took place. Imam was a longtime member of ISIS, dating back to its earliest iterations of al Qaeda in Iraq. As second-in-command, Imam was a key target, serving as a finance minister for the terrorist group, overseeing all the funding for the operation. Taking Imam out impedes the group's efforts to recruit and execute plans, Carter said.
American airstrikes have become increasingly accurate in striking ISIS's top commanders. Last week, Defense Department officials confirmed that airstrikes had killed ISIS's minister of war, Omar al-Shishani. "We are systematically eliminating [ISIS's] cabinet," Carter said during Friday's news conference. Though leaders can always be replaced, Carter said eliminating those most experienced and most senior remains a top and important objective. "The momentum of this campaign is clearly on our side," he said.
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