US says airstrike killed ISIL chemical weapons expert

An prominent ISIL chemical weapons engineer was killed in a coalition airstrike, U.S. Central Command said Friday.

According to statement from CENTCOM, the militant was killed Jan. 24 in an airstrike in the vicinity of Mosul in northern Iraq.

"[Abu] Malik was an ISIL chemical weapons engineer who worked at Saddam Hussein's Muthana chemical weapon production facility before affiliating with al Qaeda Iraq in 2005," read the statement. 

It is unknown when he joined ISIL. 

Malik's past training and experience provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability.

CENTCOM said his death would disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons.