3 senior Islamic State militants eliminated in United States strikes in Syria

An unusual United States helicopter raid on a government-held town in Syria’s north-east eliminated a senior Islamic State militant hiding there and a different United States airstrike later Thursday eliminated 2 others, the United States military states. The United States has actually performed previous raids in Syria versus members of Islamic State, however Thursday’s would be the very first recognized operation versus the group in a zone held by forces faithful to the president, Bashar al-Assad. Early on Thursday, United States unique forces performed the unusual operation on the government-held town of Muluk Saray in the north-eastern province of Hasakeh, Syrian state tv stated in its Telegram channel. The United States armed force’s Central Command stated the target was Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, an Islamic State member “understood to assist in the smuggling of weapons and fighters.” It stated he was eliminated throughout the operation, while among his partners was injured and 2 others apprehended by United States forces. “No United States forces were hurt or eliminated throughout the operation, no civilians were eliminated or injured, and there was no loss or damage to United States devices,” stated the Florida-based Central Command, which supervises American soldiers in the Middle East. It did not define the exact place of the raid, explaining it just as near the town of Qamishli, which lies at Syria’s border with Turkey. Central Command later Thursday stated a different United States airstrike at 6.32 pm (3.32 pm GMT) in northern Syria eliminated an Islamic State leader it called as Abu-Hashum al-Umawi and another senior member of the group it stated was connected with him. A security source stated the guy who was eliminated in the earlier United States raid was accountable for collaborating Islamic State sleeper cells in the location. “This operation intends to broaden the scope of targeting this organisation’s members throughout various parts of Syria,” the source included. The 2nd security source stated United States forces had actually taken his body with them as they pulled away. A regional source stated the male had actually relocated to the town of Muluk Saray recently from Taif, a town near the border with Iraq that was when an Islamic State fortress. “People believed he was a shepherd– nobody understands his real identity,” stated the source. The regional source stated United States forces likewise robbed a structure utilized by Syrian security and apprehended “a number of individuals” there. Other homeowners of the location validated the raid to Reuters. One stated that United States helicopters landed in the town after midnight and informed locals by speaker to remain inside and keep their lights off. The citizen stated the operation lasted a number of hours which there was no exchange of fire with the United States soldiers. The United States leads a military union fighting IS in Syria. In July, the Pentagon stated it eliminated Syria’s leading IS jihadist in a drone strike in the northern part of the nation. Central Command stated he had actually been “among the leading 5” IS leaders. The July strike came 5 months after a night-time United States raid in the town of Atme, which caused the death of IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi. United States authorities stated Qurashi passed away when he detonated a bomb to prevent capture. After losing their last area after a military attack backed by the US-led union in March 2019, the residues of IS in Syria mainly pulled away into desert hideouts. They have actually given that utilized such hideouts to ambush Kurdish-led forces and Syrian federal government soldiers while continuing to install attacks in Iraq. Reuters and Agence France-Presse added to this report
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