Senior Islamic State leader detained in US raid in Syria
A senior IS leader was detained by US-led forces during a pre-dawn raid in northern Syria on Thursday.
A senior Islamic State (IS) leader was detained by the US-led coalition during a helicopterborne, pre-dawn raid in northern Syria on Thursday.
Hani Ahmed al-Kurdi is believed to be “an experienced bomb maker and facilitator who became one of the group’s top leaders in Syria,” the US-led coalition said in a statement. Local reports suggested the raid occurred southwest of the town of Jarablus, in an area controlled by Syrian opposition forces backed by Turkey.
“There were no civilians harmed during the operation nor any damage to coalition aircraft or assets,” the statement read.
Why it matters: The raid is the latest blow to IS’ leadership. The jihadist group’s previous leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, died during a US Special Forces raid in Syria's Idlib province, just miles from the Turkish border, in February.
