US airstrike kills 'IS number two': White House

WASHINGTON - The second-in-command of the Islamic State (IS) group has been killed in a recent US airstrike in northern Iraq, the White House said on Friday. The announcement was made by US National Security spokesman Ned Price.

“An airstrike bombed al-Hayali’s car in the Minassah street in Mosul city on Wednesday,” an Iraqi security source told ARA News on the condition of anonymity.

The National Security Council identified the slain militant as Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, also known as Haji Mutaz, and said he was IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's senior deputy.

Al-Hayali, Price said, coordinated the movement of weapons, vehicles and people between Iraq and Syria, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“Al-Hayali’s death will adversely impact ISIL’s operations, given that his influence spanned ISIL’s finance, media, operations, and logistics,” Price said.