WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Maher al-Bilawi, the commander of Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh) forces in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, was killed by a US airstrike, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Army. Col. Steve Warren said in a press briefing on Friday.
"We’ve killed more than 70 enemy fighters, including Maher al-Bilawi, who is the commander of ISIL [Islamic State] forces in Fallujah," Warren stated.
"This was just a result of intelligence that we gathered on the headquarters in his location, and we had the opportunity to take the strike, and we took it," Warren added.
On May 22, Khalidiya District Council chief Ali Dawood announced Bilawi’s death, noting he was killed in a coalition airstrike on an Daesh meeting east of the city of Ramadi, according to Iraqi media reports.