The Iraqi Defense Ministry says the second-in-command of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has been killed in a coalition air strike in the country’s north.
Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Tahsin Ibrahim said on May 13 that Abdul Rahman Mustafa Muhammad, also known as Abu Alaa al-Afri, was inside a mosque in the town of Tal Afar that was targeted.
Ibrahim said the IS commander was meeting with dozens of militants who also died in the strike.
However, the U.S. military strongly denied that coalition forces had hit the mosque and said it could not corroborate the claims.
On its website, the Iraqi Defense ministry posted footage of what is said showed the air strike on the "Martyrs Mosque."
There was no way to independently confirm the ministry statement.
The Iraqi government has previously announced the death of IS militants only for them to resurface alive.
