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The Iraqi prime minister said Jasim was responsible for ISIL’s finances and deputy to assassinated leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Iraqi security forces arrested a senior official from the armed group ISIL (ISIL), Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said.
Sami Jasim, chief financial officer of the armed group and deputy to assassinated leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been arrested outside the country, Al-Kadhimi wrote on social media.
“While our [Iraqi security forces] heroes focused on securing elections, their [Iraqi national intelligence services] colleagues were leading a complex external operation to capture Sami Jasim, ”he wrote on Twitter on Monday, a day after the country staged a parliamentary election.
He did not give more details about the operation.
While our ISF heroes focused on securing the elections, their INIS colleagues were leading a complex external operation to capture Sami Jasim, who was in charge of Daesh’s finances, and an assistant to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
Long live Iraq and our brave heroes.– Mustafa Al Kadhim October 11, 2021
Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed, in a report from the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, described Jasim’s arrest as a breakthrough for Baghdad.
“The government considers this a great achievement as it has been responsible for many operations in Iraq and Syria,” Abdelwahed said.
Jasim was detained in an identified foreign country and transported to Iraq a few days ago, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing Iraqi intelligence officials who requested anonymity.
The US State Department had previously offered a reward for information tracking the location of ISIL leaders it had identified, including Jasim.
In 2015, the US Treasury Department appointed Jasim to provide financial support or other services to the violent group.
He said he oversaw ISIL’s financial operations, oil and gas, antiques and mineral resources.
The Iraqi government declared a military victory over ISIS in December 2017, three years after the armed group captured large swathes of northern Iraq.
Al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S. special forces raid in northwestern Syria in 2019.
However, ISIL members continue to carry out attacks and kidnappings across Iraq.
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