A senior Islamic State leader in charge of planning attacks in the Middle East and Europe was killed in a US helicopter raid in northern Syria.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces killed Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali and two other operatives of the extremist militia organisation Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in a morning raid, according to Washington.
According to CENTCOM, the man was a senior Islamic State leader and “operational planner responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe,” and he was the operation’s target.
The raid was carried out after intelligence revealed an Islamic State plot to kidnap officials abroad and use them as leverage for the terror group’s initiatives, according to the US military.
“We know ISIS retains the desire to strike beyond the Middle East,” CENTCOM spokesperson Colonel Joe Buccino said.
“This raid deals a significant blow to ISIS operations in the region but does not eliminate ISIS’ capability to conduct operations,” Buccino added.
CENTCOM said earlier on Monday that two armed individuals were killed in the operation, but no civilians were killed or injured.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman confirmed the operation to dpa.
Rahman said three people were killed, two on the site of the operation and one on the outskirts of a village. Reports have it that the attack occurred after midnight Sunday in the Jarabulus countryside, east of Aleppo.
In 2015, US forces were deployed to Syria to assist the Syrian Kurds and their allies in their fight against the Islamic State.