Top Islamic Leader Confirmed Dead After Final Act Of Cowardice

The Pentagon confirmed a U.S. operation lead to the death of the leader of the Islamic State in northwest Syria late Wednesday evening.

The mission resulted in the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the known leader of the terror group ISIS, according to the Department of Defense. There were no American casualties and all U.S. forces were safely evacuated.

“U.S. Special Operations forces under the control of U.S. Central Command conducted a counterterrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said. “The mission was successful. There were no U.S. casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

At least 13 people, including six children and four women, were killed during the mission, according to the Syria Civil Defense. When SCD personnel arrived at the scene they were unable to get in close due to the ongoing clashes.

A woman close to the scene said that members of her family were forced out of their home and she was handcuffed as the ISIS leader’s house was attacked.

Senior Biden administration officials said that al-Qurayshi detonated a suicide bomb during the raid, causing the death of his family members.

“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,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Thursday.

“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,” the president said. “All Americans have returned safely from the operation.”

Thursday morning, Biden confirmed that al-Qurayshi blew himself up “in a final act of desperate cowardice.”

In October 2019 al-Qurayshi was named as the ISIS leader after U.S. forces killed the group’s founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdad.