Islamic State finance minister Killed by US Forces

U.S. forces have killed Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, an Islamic State finance minister also responsible for the terrorist group’s external affairs, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Friday.

“We are systematically eliminating ISIL’s cabinet,” Carter said, using an acronym for the terrorist group.

Carter would not say whether Qaduli, also known as Hajji Iman, was killed in Iraq or Syria, nor would he say whether the IS leader was killed in a raid or an airstrike.

According to a U.S. defense official, Qaduli was “actively plotting to conduct terror attacks in the West.”

The official said the U.S. military believes Qaduli was providing money to foreign fighters trying to develop and carry out attacks similar to the attack this week in Brussels.

Qaduli was released from Iraqi prison in early 2012 and had a $7 million reward on his head.

Carter also announced that Abu Sara, an Islamic State leader charged with paying fighters in Iraq, was targeted by U.S. forces this week.

A defense official told VOA that Sara was hit by a U.S. drone airstrike in Iraq.

Omar al-Shishani — also known as “Omar the Chechen” — was killed in a U.S. airstrike in March, and IS chemical weapons expert Abu Malik was killed by a strike in late January.

“Striking leadership is necessary, but it’s far from sufficient,” Carter said.

He added that the killing of Qaduli was consistent with U.S. strategy of pressuring the Islamic State in “every single way we can, from the leadership right down to supporting local forces on the ground.”