ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The Islamic State (ISIS) has removed a number of local members from sensitive positions and replaced them with foreign fighters following the killing of its Mosul governor in an air strike, said a Kurdish official.
“ISIS is now investigating the circumstances of (Abu Laith’s) death and they try to find out how his location was known by the coalition forces,” Ismat Rajab, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)’s official for Mosul told Rudaw.
Radhwan Hamdouni known as Abu Laith, the wali (governor) of Mosul and three other military leaders were killed in an air strike on Wednesday near Mosul, Kurdish officials said.
According to Rajab, who maintains sources inside Mosul, “ISIS is now relying more on its foreign fighters because the group is suspicious of the loyalty of the local people in Mosul.”
In September it was also reported that ISIS had removed and executed a number of its Kurdish members on charges of spying for the Peshmerga forces in Iraq and Syria.
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