Story highlights U.S. National Security Council spokesman says Haji Mutazz was in charge of ISIS operations in Iraq

Mutazz, also known as Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, was already reported to have been killed in 2014

was already reported to have been killed in 2014 An official says drone strike was based on "actionable intelligence"

(CNN) The No. 2 figure in ISIS, Haji Mutazz, was killed in an August 18 drone strike near Mosul, Iraq, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council announced Friday.

Ned Price confirmed what several U.S. officials told CNN earlier, and added that Mutazz was traveling in a car with a Islamic State media operative named Abu Abdullah when the vehicle was hit.

Price said in a written statement Mutazz was in charge of ISIS operations in Iraq and was a key military planner. The U.S. also believes Mutazz was prominently involved in directing ISIS' financial operations.

The death of Mutazz, who also goes by several other names such as Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, is a bit of a mystery. Several news organizations, including CNN, reported his death at the end of last year, based on information from senior U.S. administration officials.

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One U.S. official said it appears the United States had a wrong identification at that time.

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