Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qureshi: US claims to have killed the head of Islamic State in Syria

 

 Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qureshi: US claims to have killed the head of Islamic State in Syria

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of the Islamic State militant group, has been killed in a US Special Forces operation in northwestern Syria, according to senior US officials.

 

In a statement, US President Joe Biden said, "Thanks to the skill and bravery of our armed forces, we have targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi on the battlefield." A senior US official has told US media that Abu Ibrahim al-Qureshi blew himself up, killing other members of his family.

 

According to White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, first aid workers entered the building at 3:15 a.m., including the bodies of 13 people, including six children and four women. The group also said it had rescued a man, including an injured girl, and rushed her to a hospital for medical treatment.

 

According to reports, several US helicopters landed in the area, which is in the northern province of Idlib, near the Turkish border, at around 10pm local time on Wednesday. Local sources said that the troops faced stiff resistance and were fired upon by heavy anti-aircraft guns mounted on vehicles.

Shelling was heard for two hours before the helicopters left. The raid is believed to be the largest US Special Forces operation in northwestern Syria, while Quraysh leader Abu Baker al-Baghdadi was killed in a raid on a hideout just 16 kilometers from Atma in October 2019.

 

A senior US official told Reuters news agency: "We are currently reviewing the results of this operation. Baghdadi was killed during the attack. According to local sources, the US troops faced a strong response and were targeted with heavy anti-aircraft weapons mounted on vehicles. The sound of gunfire and shelling was heard for two hours before the return of the helicopters.

 

According to the New York Times, a helicopter had to be dropped due to a technical glitch and was later destroyed by a US air strike. Pictures of the wreckage were also posted online. President Biden said all Americans involved in the operation had returned safely after the operation.

An AFP correspondent has visited the two-story house, which was apparently the target of the attack, and says that after inspecting it, it is clear that there was heavy fighting. There are blood stains on the walls, window frames are torn, there are bullet marks on the ceiling and part of it has collapsed.