Islamic State leader killed in US Special Operations raid in Syria

Early Thursday morning, President Joe Biden announced that US military forces in the northwest Syria killed ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in a "successful" US Special Operations counterterrorism mission.

"Last night at my direction, US military forces in the northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place," Biden said via press release.

"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."

On Thursday morning, Biden addressed the public on the raid.

"[Haji Abdullah] took over as leader of ISIS in 2019, after the United States counterterrorism operation killed al-Baghdadi. Since then, ISIS has directed terrorist operations targeting Americans, our allies, and our partners, and countless civilians in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Haji Abdullah oversaw the spread of ISIS-affiliated terrorist groups around the world After savaging communities and murdering innocents," said Biden.

"He was responsible for the recent brutal attack on a prison in northeast Syria holding ISIS fighters, which was swiftly addressed by our brave partners in the Syrian Democratic Forces. He was the driving force behind the genocide of the Yazidi people in northwestern Iraq in 2014. We all remember the gut wrenching stories mass slaughters that wiped out entire villages. Thousands of women and young girls sold into slavery. Rape used a weapon of war. Thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible terrorist leader is no more," he continued.

Biden continued on to state that he directed the Department of Defense to "take every precaution possible to minimize civilian casualties," and knowing that he has surrounded himself with women and children, "we made a choice to pursue a Special Forces raid at a much greater risk than our to our own people rather than targeting him with an airstrike."

Biden expressed his gratitude for the troops that took down the leader, as well as the families of these soldiers, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and multiple agencies, "whose meticulous and tireless work over the course of many months ensured that this mission succeeded. This operation is testament to America's reach and capability to take out terrorist threats, no matter where they try to hide anywhere in the world."

Biden did not answer any questions, saying he was late for a flight to New York.

"We do know that as our troops approach to capture the terrorist and a final act of desperate cowardess. He, with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself up, not just with the vest, but to blow up that third floor rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed, taking several members of his family with him just as his predecessor did," said Biden.

According to Fox News, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said there were no US casualties. Al-Qurayshi was wearing a suicide vest that detonated during the raid, sources told the outlet.

Witnesses told the Associated Press that US special forces landed in helicopters and assaulted a house in the town of Atmeh, a rebel-held corner of Syria. Troops reportedly clashed for two hours with gunmen.

"First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women," the Associated Press reported. One journalist on assignment in the area for the outlet said they hey saw body parts scattered near the site.

The Syria Civil Defense said teams were able to enter the targeted building minutes after the fighting ended, at about 3:15 am local time to conduct rescues.

"Our teams rushed an injured child to the hospital," a statement read. "The child's entire family was killed in the operation. The teams also rushed another person to the hospital who was injured in the clashes when he approached the scene to witness what was happening."

One resident of the town, Omar Sales, told the Associated Press that he was woken up by the sound of a low-flying aircraft at around 1:10 am local time.

"He ran to open the windows with the lights off, and saw three helicopters. He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area," the Associated Press wrote.

"This went on for 45 minutes. There was no response. Then the machine gun fire erupted," Saleh said, adding that the firing continued for two hours, as aircraft circled over the area.

Another resident, Taher al-Omar, an Idlib-based activist, said he witnessed clashes between US forces and fighters. Others said they heard at least one major explosion, which was revealed by a US official to be one of the helicopters used in the raid suffering a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground.

The area where the raid occurred, near the Turkey border, is reportedly home to several top Al Qaeda operatives and other militant groups still fighting President Bashar Assad, according to Fox News.

Leading up to the raid, the Islamic State group has been reestablishing itself in Syria and Iraq with increased attacks.

Last month, a military operation was conducted on a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees, marking the biggest assault since being driven underground in 2019. The attack appeared to be aimed at breaking free senior IS operatives in the prison.

US-backed Kurdish-led fought for 10 days to retake the prison fully, with the force saying more than 120 of its fighters and prison workers were killed along with 374 militants.

"A December 2021 report by the Wilson Center, noted that al-Qurayshi, also known as Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, hasn’t shown his face and the group has released almost no biographical details about him," Fox News reported.

"Al-Mawla has not even given an audio address in which Islamic State members might hear his voice—a sharp break in precedent," the report said. "Some disaffected former members of the group have argued that it is contrary to the Sharia to pledge allegiance to a ghost, but that does not seem to have swayed opinion. If there was opposition to al Mawla's ascension, it has not manifested on the battlefield."