The United States killed the leader of the Islamic State’s Syria branch in a Tuesday morning drone strike in northwest Syria.
The United States Central Command drone strike outside of Jindayris killed Maher al-Agal — one of ISIS’ top five leaders — and seriously wounded one of his senior close associates, U.S. Central Command announced in a news release.
“Extensive planning went into this operation to ensure its successful execution. An initial review indicates there were no civilian casualties,” CENTCOM said.
“This strike reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS,” CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said. “The removal of these ISIS leaders will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out global attacks.”
“ISIS continues to represent a threat to the U.S. and partners in the region,” Buccino added.
“CENTCOM maintains a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region and will continue to counter threats against regional security.”
According to CENTCOM, Al-Agal was involved in the development of ISIS networks outside of Syria and Iraq, in addition to his role as leader of the terrorist outfit’s Syrian branch.
ISIS has not confirmed the death of Al-Agal yet on its Telegram channels.
Al-Agal was riding on a motorbike when a missile fired from the drone struck and killed him, the Daily Mail reported, citing U.S. officials.
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The terrorist leader’s body was later taken to a hospital in Idlib. The extent of his associate’s injuries remains unknown, according to the Mail.
The strike on Al-Agal comes over five months after ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi blew himself and his family up when U.S. forces raided Atmeh, a town near Syria’s border with Turkey in February.
Later in June, American forces arrested a senior leader, Hani Ahmed al-Kurdi, of ISIS in Syria, according to the Mail.
President Joe Biden said in a Tuesday statement said that Al-Agal’s death in Syria “takes a key terrorist off the field and significantly degrades the ability of ISIS to plan, resource and conduct their operations in the region.”
“And, like the U.S. operation in February that eliminated ISIS’s overall leader, it sends a powerful message to all terrorists who threaten our homeland and our interests around the world,” Biden said. “The United States will be relentless in its efforts to bring you to justice.”
“This airstrike represents the culmination of determined and meticulous intelligence work and stands as testament to the bravery and skill of our armed forces.”
“It also demonstrates that the United States does not require thousands of troops in combat missions to identify and eliminate threats to our country,” Biden added.
The president also thanked military personnel who were involved in the operation, saying that the “American people — and our allies and partners — are safer today because of their actions.”
