New Delhi: United States President Joe Biden on Thursday said that American special forces killed a top commander of Islamic State (ISIS) Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, in a pre-dawn raid carried out in northwest Syria. Apart from the dreaded terrorist, 13 people including women and children were also killed.
“Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces in northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place. Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi—the leader of ISIS. All Americans have returned safely from the operation. I will deliver remarks to the American people later this morning. May God protect our troops,” said Biden.
Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation. Thanks to the bravery of our Armed Forces, we have removed from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS.
https://t.co/lsYQHE9lR9— President Biden (@POTUS) February 3, 2022
The raid was carried out by about two dozen American commandos backed by helicopter gunships, armed Reaper drones, and attack jets. This was an airborne raid that came days following the end of the largest US combat involvement with the Islamic State since the end of the jihadists or caliphate three years ago.
American military forces supported a Kurdish-led military in northeastern Syria, fighting more than a week to capture the Islamist State fighters from a prison they had occupied in the city of Hasaka.
Interestingly, this raid reminded many of the raid in October 2019 in which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of ISIS died by wearing a suicide vest as US force raided in a hide-out not far from where the current raid took place.
According to The Associated Press, the locals saw body parts scattered near the house that was raided in the village of Atmeh, in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province near the border with Turkey.
