Latest news with #al-Rifai
Saba Yemen
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Israeli forces launch raids, arrests in Nablus, Jenin
Ramallah - Saba: Israeli forces carried out raids and arrests last night and early Saturday morning, targeting a number of Palestinian citizens in the cities of Nablus and Jenin in the West Bank. Palestinian media reported that Israeli forces stormed the Askar al-Jadeed refugee camp east of Nablus and the Rafidia neighborhood west of the city, raiding Palestinian homes and arresting a number of them, while vandalizing their contents. Media sources indicated that Israeli forces deployed in the alleys of Askar camp and raided several homes, some belonging to the al-Rifai, Abu Zar, and al-Jabji families. Israeli forces positioned themselves near the Abu Hijleh building in Tal'at Balibla and the al-Jabal area of Askar al-Jadeed refugee camp. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Shafaq News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Syria's religious leadership: Osama Al-Rifai appointed Grand Mufti
Shafaq News/ Syria's transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa has appointed Sheikh Osama bin Abdul Karim al-Rifai as the country's Grand Mufti. During a conference to inaugurate the newly formed Supreme Fatwa Council, a body tasked with issuing religious rulings, Al-Sharaa said, 'We were compelled to rebuild what the fallen regime had destroyed across all fields — and among the most important of these was the office of the Grand Mufti.' 'Today, this post is held by one of the most distinguished scholars of the Levant, the esteemed Sheikh al-Rifai — may God preserve him,' he continued. According to the presidential decree, the Fatwa Council — chaired by al-Rifai and comprised of 14 members — will hold collective responsibility for issuing religious rulings. 'The fatwa is a sacred trust, a declaration made on behalf of God,' Al-Sharaa said, emphasizing that the council must deliberate carefully before issuing any decision. The council's mandate reportedly includes providing religious guidance on new and evolving issues, issuing rulings on referred matters, appointing regional muftis and fatwa committees, supervising fatwa institutions across the provinces, and offering advisory support. Decisions will be made by majority vote. In the case of a tie, the Grand Mufti will have the deciding vote. Al-Rifai will also oversee the council's operations and implement its resolutions and recommendations. Born in Damascus in 1944, al-Rifai is a Syrian preacher and jurist who was a vocal critic of both Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. His support for the 2011 uprising led to state pressure, including alleged beatings and assassination attempts by then-regime loyalists. He was reportedly forced into exile, living in Saudi Arabia and later Turkiye, where he co-founded the Syrian Islamic Council in 2014 alongside other exiled scholars. After the regime's fall, al-Rifai returned to Syria. On Friday, former regime-appointed mufti Ahmad Hassoun was detained while attempting to leave the country via Damascus Airport. Hassoun was allegedly en route to Jordan for medical treatment when he was taken into custody under an arrest warrant accusing him of "evading justice." His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Islamic State leader dies in U.S. airstrike in Iraq
March 15 (UPI) -- American and Iraqi military forces killed a senior Islamic State leader using an airstrike, U.S. Central Command confirmed in a post on social media. Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, who was better known as Abu Khadijah, died in Iraq's Al Anbar Province in the western part of the country following the "precision airstrike" earlier in the week, CENTCOM said on X. American and Iraqi forces later confirmed al-Rifai's identity using DNA analysis. One other Islamic State operative was killed during the operation. Both men were wearing explosive vests and had multiple weapons with them at the time. "Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond," CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in the post on X. The U.S. military referred to al-Rifai as the Islamic State's "#2 leader" and "the Emir of ISIS' most senior decision-making body. American officials said al-Rifai was active in Iraq and Syria and served as the Chief of Global Operations for the Islamic State. "Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group's global organization," CENTCOM said on X President Donald Trump rejoiced on social media. "His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," Trump said on his Truth social media platform. U.S. Central Command is one of the Defense Department's 1 unified combatant commands. In late January, CENTCOM carried out an airstrike that killed a senior operative in an al-Qaida-affiliated group in northwest Syria.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senior Islamic State leader killed in Iraq, Trump says his 'miserable life was terminated'
The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been killed, Iraq's prime minister announced on Friday. Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, or "Abu Khadija," was killed in an operation by members of the Iraqi national intelligence service along with U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement. The prime minister described al-Rifai as "one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world." U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the news on his social media platform Truth Social, saying al-Rifai's "miserable life was terminated." Former Iraqi Refugee Living In Texas Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Support Isis "Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed," Trump wrote Friday night. "He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government." Read On The Fox News App "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!" the president added. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and security forces, conducted an airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the "Global ISIS #2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias 'Abu Khadijah,' and one other ISIS operative." "As the Emir of ISIS' most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group's global organization," CENTCOM said. After the strike, U.S. and Iraqi forces moved to the location of the strike and found both dead ISIS targets who were each wearing unexploded "suicide vests" and who had multiple weapons, CENTCOM said. Trump Admin Ends Waiver Allowing Iraq To Buy Iranian Electricity As Part Of 'Maximum Pressure' Campaign U.S. and Iraqi forces were able to identify al-Rifai using DNA collected in a previous raid where he narrowly escaped. "Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond," Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander at CENTCOM, said in a article source: Senior Islamic State leader killed in Iraq, Trump says his 'miserable life was terminated'
Fox News
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Senior Islamic State leader killed in Iraq, Trump says his 'miserable life was terminated'
The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been killed, Iraq's prime minister announced on Friday. Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, or "Abu Khadija," was killed in an operation by members of the Iraqi national intelligence service along with U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement. The prime minister described al-Rifai as "one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world." U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the news on his social media platform Truth Social, saying al-Rifai's "miserable life was terminated." "Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed," Trump wrote Friday night. "He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government." "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!" the president added. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and security forces, conducted an airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the "Global ISIS #2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias 'Abu Khadijah,' and one other ISIS operative." "As the Emir of ISIS' most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group's global organization," CENTCOM said. After the strike, U.S. and Iraqi forces moved to the location of the strike and found both dead ISIS targets who were each wearing unexploded "suicide vests" and who had multiple weapons, CENTCOM said. U.S. and Iraqi forces were able to identify al-Rifai using DNA collected in a previous raid where he narrowly escaped. "Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond," Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander at CENTCOM, said in a statement.
