Trump says 'five most wanted Isis leaders captured' as Iraq lures commanders into crossing Syria border

Tweet comes after Iraq state television described the commanders as 'some of the most wanted' from Isis

(REUTERS/Mike Theiler)

US President Donald Trump has claimed that five “most wanted” leaders of Isis had been captured, an apparent reference to the capture of five commanders of the jihadi group group by Iraq.

“Five Most Wanted leaders of ISIS just captured!” Mr Trump wrote in a post on Twitter, providing no further details.

The president, who has a reputation for hyperbole, appeared to be responding to news announced on Iraqi state television late on Wednesday, that described the capture of the Isis commanders as “some of the most wanted” leaders of the group. The list did not include Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

A statement from the US-led coalition against Isis called the arrests a “significant blow to Daesh,” using the Arabic acronym for Isis.

The five alleged commanders are said to include Saddam al-Jammel, a Syrian involved in controlling territory around Deir Ezzor, and Ismail al-Eithawi, who is believed to be a top aide to Baghdadi. Those captured were not named by the coalition.

It was reported that the five were captured after being lured by Iraqi intelligence services into crossing the border from Syria.

Eithawi was captured in February by Turkish authorities and handed over to Iraqi agents, a security advisor to the Iraqi government told Reuters. Iraqi agents then used the Telegram messaging app on his mobile phone to lure four commanders from the group to cross the border from Syria into Iraq and into a trap, security advisor Hisham al-Hashimi said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said last month he would “take all necessary measures” against jihadis based in Syria. The Iraqi air force has carried out several airstrikes since last year against Isis positions in Syrian territory.

The US -led coalition supported Iraqi ground forces and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the war against Isis.

Mr Abadi declared final victory over Isis last December, with with group having been pushed out of all the major territory it held in the country taken as part of offensives that started in 2014. But Isis still pose a threat along the border with Syria with ambushes, killings and bombings still occurring across Iraq.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report