CNN
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A US helicopter raid in northeast Syria focused a senior ISIS chief and planner early Monday morning, in keeping with a spokesman for US Central Command.
“We consider the raid killed a senior ISIS Syria chief and operational planner liable for planning terror assaults within the Center East and Europe,” mentioned Col. Joe Buccino.
Two different armed people have been additionally killed within the raid, Buccino mentioned.
No US forces have been wounded within the raid and no helicopters have been shot down, Buccino added.
On Monday afternoon US Central Command recognized the senior ISIS chief as Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali, who it mentioned was liable for planning terror assaults within the Center East and Europe.
In line with CENTCOM, the helicopter raid focusing on the senior ISIS chief was launched after the US realized of intelligence revealing an ISIS plot to kidnap officers overseas.
“We all know ISIS retains the need to strike past the MIddle East,” mentioned Buccino. “This raid offers a big blow to ISIS operations within the area however doesn’t remove ISIS’ functionality to conduct operations.”
No civilians have been killed or injured, in keeping with an earlier assertion from CENTCOM.
“Although degraded, ISIS stays capable of conduct operations throughout the area with a want to strike past the Center East,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla mentioned within the assertion. “We’ll proceed the relentless marketing campaign in opposition to ISIS.”
The US has remained targeted on the defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq as a part of an ongoing marketing campaign to forestall the fear group from rising once more.
One week in the past, the US captured an ISIS operative and two of his associates in jap Syria in one other helicopter raid, CENTCOM mentioned.
“Operations in opposition to ISIS are vital for the safety and stability of the area,” Buccino mentioned following the raid.
This story has been up to date with further info.
