American and Iraqi military forces killed a senior Islamic State leader using an airstrike, U.S. Central Command confirmed in a post on social media.

The killing comes as the group has been reconstituting in Syria, carrying out more attacks than at any time since it lost control of its territory nearly six years ago.

Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa was head of IS's most senior decision-making body, the US Central Command said.