The US had sanctioned Abu Khadijah in 2023, describing him as the so-called governor of ISIS-held areas in Iraq and [Syria](https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/world/syria). He was also in charge of overseeing the group's foreign operations.
Though ISIS was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017, remnants of the terror outfit have continued to operate, carrying out intermittent attacks on Iraqi security forces.
About 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq to assist counterterrorism operations and train Iraqi forces.