Kurdistan CT, coalition forces kill IS health minister in Hawija

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – In a joint operation, Kurdistan Region Counter-Terrorism (CT) and coalition forces killed the Islamic State (IS) health minister in Hawija city in western Kirkuk, Kurdistan CT stated on Sunday.

In a statement, the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) CT along with the US-led Coalition Special Forces on Jan. 5 killed IS’ health minister responsible for the Kirkuk area.

The minister’s name is Islam Taha Mohammed al-Obeidi, who is also known as Dr. Muawiya.

According to the statement, he was killed in the center of Hawija city which had been under the control of the extremist group since June 2014.

The report also mentioned Muawiya was responsible for killing people in Kirkuk and was involved in “martyring” four Peshmerga soldiers in Hawija.

The CT noted he was one of IS’ senior leaders responsible for the Kirkuk area and was guilty of torturing many Kurdish Yezidi (Ezidi) women in Hawija.

Moreover, an Ezidi member of the Iraqi Parliament Viyan Dakhil posted on her official Facebook page that Muawiya had abducted and raped many Ezidi women.

“Some of them were even kids who were under 12-years-old,” she wrote.

IS emerged in Mosul in mid-2014 and occupied the Ezidi populated city of Sinjar (Shingal).

The group kidnapped thousands of Ezidi women and sold them on the black markets as slaves.

Moreover, the insurgent group committed mass executions of Ezidi people around Mosul.

Muawiya is from Nineveh Province and was selected as the Director of Hawija General Hospital before being promoted as IS’ health minister, according to Dakhil.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany