Pentagon: US Drone Strike Kills Islamic State Group Leader In Syria

U.S. airstrike targets ISIS leader in eastern Syriahttps://t.co/RtzKlBhXKE pic.twitter.com/A6IFnUGlXB

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 9, 2023

Newsweek: U.S. Airstrike Kills ISIS Leader in Syria: DOD 

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday confirmed that a drone airstrike from Friday successfully killed an ISIS leader in Syria. 

The official statement announcing the news was shared across various platforms, including CENTCOM's official Twitter account. 

In it, the agency confirmed the death of ISIS leader Usamah Al-Muhajir, with the airstrike taking place in an unspecified part of Eastern Syria.

"This will disrupt and degrade ISIS's ability to plan and conduct terror attacks," the official statement read. "However, CENTCOM's operations against ISIS, alongside partner forces in Iraq and Syria, will continue in order to achieve the group's enduring defeat."  

Read more .... 

 Pentagon: US Drone Strike Kills Islamic State Group Leader In Syria 

US drone strike kills an Islamic State group leader in Syria, the Defense Department says -- AP  

U.S. drone strike kills Islamic State leader in Syria, Defense Department says -- Politico 

Isis leader killed by US drone strike in Syria, Pentagon says -- The Independent 

US drone strike kills an Islamic State group leader in Syria, the Defense Department says -- NBC

US CENTCOM says it killed ISIS leader in Syria airstrike, no civilian casualties -- FOX News

4 US Service Members And Dog Wounded In Helicopter Raid That Killed ISIS Leader In Syria

Syrian Defense Forces conduct a live fire exercise alongside U.S soldiers in Syria. (Spc. William Gore/ U.S. Army)  

Daily Mail: ISIS leader Hamza al-Hosi is killed in helicopter raid in Syria that left four US servicemembers and a dog wounded 

* Hamza al-Hosi was killed in the raid last night in northeast Syria 

* The raid was a joint operation between the US and Syrian Democratic Forces 

ISIS leader Hamza al-Hosi has been killed in Syria in a helicopter raid carried out by US and Syrian forces. 

Four active service members were injured, along with a dog, and all are receiving treatment in Iraq. They suffered blast injuries from an explosion. It's unclear what the cause of that explosion was. 

US Central Command announced the raid on Friday in a statement.

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4 US Service Members And Dog Wounded In Helicopter Raid That Killed ISIS Leader In Syria  

Senior ISIS leader killed in raid, 4 U.S. troops and working dog wounded in northeast Syria raid -- CBS/AP  

4 US servicemembers injured during Syria raid that left ISIS senior leader dead -- FOX News 

4 US service members wounded in helicopter raid that killed ISIS leader in Syria -- ABC News 

4 US troops wounded in Syria raid that killed senior ISIS leader on Thursday -- CNN  

Senior ISIS leader killed in Syria helicopter raid, U.S. says -- Axios

ISIS Leader In Syria Killed In US Drone Strike

The attack took place in the Jenderies district in Afrin - an area northwest of Aleppo, near the country's shared border with Turkey. The region has become a haven for hundreds of ISIS terrorists and leaders in recent years, as the country continues to face a civil war 

 

Daily Mail: Leader of ISIS in Syria is killed by US drone strike while riding a motorcycle and one of his key lieutenants is seriously injured 

* The top ISIS official was assassinated by the United States Thursday, when he and his deputy was hit by an American drone strike in northwest Syria 

* The strike killed senior ISIS leader Maher al-Agal, US officials said Tuesday morning, taking credit for the attack in the northern village of Khaltan 

 * Al-Agal was riding a motorbike in the village when he was targeted by the American missile, which saw him killed instantly 

A top ISIS official was assassinated by the United States Tuesday - when he and his deputy were hit by an American drone strike in northwest Syria. 

The strike killed senior ISIS leader Maher al-Agal, US officials said Tuesday morning, taking credit for the daytime attack in the northern village of Khaltan in the Syrian countryside. 

Al-Agal - one of the top five leaders in the terrorist group - was riding a motorbike in the village when he was targeted by the American missile, which killed him instantly.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I guess targeted killings are not combat operations .... U.S. President Biden Claims US Troops Aren't Engaged In Combat In The Middle East. 

ISIS Leader In Syria Killed In US Drone Strike  

U.S. military: ISIS leader in Syria killed in drone strike -- Reuters 

ISIS leader in Syria killed in drone strike, US says -- CNN  

Pentagon says US drone strike kills 'IS' chief in Syria -- DW  

US drone strike kills top Syrian ISIS leader Maher al-Agal -- FOX News  

U.S. drone strike in Syria kills senior ISIS leader -- Axios

ISIS Plot To Assassinate Former President George W. Bush Uncovered By The FBI

 

Daily Mail: ISIS 'plotted to assassinate George W. Bush by smuggling in Middle East kill team through Mexico as revenge for the invasion of Iraq': FBI informants uncovered plot from asylum seeker in Ohio, WhatsApp messages and videos from former president's Dallas home 

* The FBI reportedly foiled a plot this year to murder George W. Bush 

* A search warrant claims an ISIS operative wanted to kill the former president 

* Shihab Ahmed Shihab, an Iraqi asylum seeker sought revenge for Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003, according to an FBI search warrant 

* The FBI relied on two confidential informants for their evidence 

* The warrant was unsealed in the Southern District of Ohio this week 

An FBI search-warrant application alleges that an ISIS operative plotted to assassinate George W. Bush with a plan that included smuggling a kill team into the country via Mexico. 

The application was filed on March 23 and briefly unsealed this week in the Southern District of Ohio 

It describes how the suspect, Shihab Ahmed Shihab, an Iraqi asylum seeker, visited Dallas in November and took video footage of the area around the former president's home.  

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ISIS Plot To Assassinate Former President George W. Bush Uncovered By The FBI  

FBI says it foiled Islamic State sympathizer’s plot to kill George W Bush -- The Guardian

Iraqi citizen living in Ohio arrested after allegedly plotting to assassinate former President George W. Bush -- CNN  

Ohio man charged with aiding and abetting plot to kill former President George W. Bush -- CBS  

Ohio man charged with plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush -- ABC News  

Defense & National Security — Man charged in plot to kill George W. Bush -- The Hill 

Man plotted to kill former President George W. Bush, FBI claims -- Insider

Civilian Death Toll In ISIS Leader Syrian Raid Could Be Higher Than First Reported

People inspect a destroyed house following an operation by the U.S. military in the Syrian village of Atmeh, in Idlib province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. U.S. special operations forces conducted a large-scale counterterrorism raid in northwestern Syria overnight Thursday, in what the Pentagon said was a "successful mission." Residents and activists reported multiple deaths including civilians from the attack. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)  

Washington Examiner: Civilian death toll in ISIS leader raid could be higher than Pentagon first said 

U.S. military officials acknowledged the number of civilian casualties during the special operations raid in Syria that targeted an ISIS leader could be higher than previously reported. 

Special operations forces conducted the mission last week, resulting in the death of Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurayshi, who had taken over as the head of the Islamic State following the death of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in 2019. 

While Biden administration and Department of Defense officials initially said al Qurayshi detonated a bomb killing himself and his family as the special operators were outside, two military officials told a small group of reporters on Thursday they aren’t certain he was the one who detonated the device, according to the Associated Press.  

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Update: US: Civilian Toll in Syria Raid May Be Higher Than Thought (AP) 

WNU Editor: Bottom line. The Pentagon does not know.

Washington Told Moscow To Stay Out Of The Area In Syria During The Raid That Eliminated ISIS Leader al-Qurayshi

A building destroyed in the aftermath of a counter-terrorism mission conducted by the U.S. Special Operations Forces is seen in Atmeh, Syria, February 3. Mohamed Al-Daher/via REUTERS  

RT: Russia & US cooperated in killing of ISIS leader – reports 

Washington told Moscow to stay out of the area during the raid that eliminated al-Qurayshi America’s successful mission to kill the leader of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) was coordinated with Russia, with Moscow being warned in advance to stay away, CNN reported on Thursday. 

Citing an anonymous US defense official, the news agency said that Washington told Moscow that it would be operating “in a broad general area of northwest Syria, during a timeframe, and told them to stay out of the area.” 

This is not the first time the two nations have cooperated in the country, despite Russia’s belief that the Americans are operating in the country illegally. The Russian operation began in 2015, after Syrian President Bashar Assad requested military aid from the Kremlin. 

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WNU Editor: ISIS leader al-Qurayshi was killed in a region of Idlib that is mainly controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group that is protected by Turkey .... Raid against al-Qurayshi amid fighting among Islamist factions near Idlib (Asia News)

More Details Emerge On The U.S. Raid That Killed ISIS Leader al-Qurayshi

 

Daily Mail: 24 commandos, Black Hawks under fire, a gun-wielding terrorist's wife and a suicide blast that threw bodies into the street: Inside the 1am Syria raid where special forces saved babies, had a two-hour gun fight with locals and left 'coward' ISIS boss's body in his own home's rubble 

* Neighbors were woken by helicopters swooping out of the dark sky at just after one o'clock in the morning 

* 24 US commandos quickly surrounded a three-story home in Atmeh, Syria, not far from the Turkish border 

* The top floor was home and headquarters to ISIS chief Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and his family 

* An Arabic voice could be heard through a bullhorn telling the residents to give themselves up 

* Only 45 minutes after the raid began, an explosion destroyed much of the top floor, killing al-Qurayshi 

* American officials said it was a suicide blast and witness said bodies were flung clear of the rubble 

* An ISIS lieutenant and his wife opened fire from the second floor as the commandoes moved in 

* From start to finish the whole operation took two hours. First responders said that 13 people died in all 

The helicopters arrived low and fast out of the sky about an hour after midnight. 

American intelligence officers had pinpointed the leader of ISIS to the top of a three-story house among the olive groves just outside Atmeh, a Syrian town near the border with Turkey. 

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was a stickler for security. He never left the building, running his terrorist group with messages sent through a lieutenant who lived on the floor below. 

Two hours later al-Qurayshi - also known as Hajji Abdullah - was dead and 24 elite U.S. commandos were on their way home.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: There must be more to this story than what they are telling us .... Black Hawk down and out: US commandos were forced to BLOW UP MH-60 chopper during ISIS Syria raid because of mechanical issues - decade after losing another helicopter during Bin Laden assault (Daily Mail).  

Update: The Pentagon are saying they will review the Syrian raid .... Pentagon willing to review Syrian raid after reports of civilian deaths; Biden says IS leader blew himself up – as it happened (The Guardian). 

More Details Emerge On The U.S. Raid That Killed ISIS Leader al-Qurayshi  

Raid Targeting ISIS Leader Came After Months of Planning -- New York Times  

Inside US raid that killed ISIS leader: 'Incredibly complex,' on same scale as bin Laden operation -- FOX News  

Tense moments in Situation Room as Biden oversaw raid on ISIS leader that was months in the making -- CNN 

In Pictures: US forces launch deadly raid in Syria’s Idlib -- Al Jazeera

Coalition Aircraft Batter ISIS With 133 Airstrikes In Iraq Over 10 Days

 

Air Force Magazine: Coalition Aircraft Batter ISIS with 133 Airstrikes in Iraq 

U.S.-led coalition aircraft recently conducted a major offensive against the Islamic State group in northern Iraq, conducting 133 airstrikes over 10 days targeting a cave complex that served as a safe haven for terrorists. That’s more than any monthly airstrike total in Iraq and Syria since 2019. 

The offensive, in support of Iraqi ground forces, destroyed 61 hideouts, 24 caves, and eliminated “a number of terrorists,” said Col. Wayne Marotto, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. 

Iraqi Ministry of Defense spokesman Yehia Rasool said the mission was aimed at drying up the sources of terrorism. The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service led the ground effort. 

Read more .... 

Update: VIDEO: US-led Coalition warplanes strike ISIS positions near Iraq’s disputed Makhmour (Kurdistan 24) 

WNU editor: The last time there were this many coalition airstrikes was in Iraq in 2019.

Update #2: The US airstrikes are continuing .... Coalition airstrikes hit 39 ISIS positions in Qarachogh near Makhmour (Kurdistan 24).

RAND Report Says US Should Have Used Fighter Jets, Bombers For More Strategic Strikes Against ISIS

US Should Have Used Fighter Jets, Bombers for More Strategic Strikes Against ISIS 

Military.com: US Should Have Used Fighter Jets, Bombers for More Strategic Strikes Against ISIS: Report 

The U.S.-led air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria often prioritized tactical, close-air support operations and bombing runs over strategic, "deep strike" missions, according to a new Rand Corp. report. 

But while the aggressive effort crippled some ISIS strongholds, it did little to accelerate the caliphate's defeat in the long run, the report found. 

In "The Air War Against the Islamic State: The Role of Airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve," researchers conclude that territory-limiting operations were seen as the measure of success during the escalated effort, which ran from 2014 to 2019. 

Read more .... 

Update: Air war against ISIS holds lessons for future battles (Air Force Times) 

WNU Editor: The RAND report is here .... The Air War Against the Islamic State (RAND Corporation).

Top U.S. General In The Middle East Warns That ISIS Is Resurging. Says Iran Is 'Top Priority'

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the commander of U.S. Central Command, speaks to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2019. U.S. Marine Corps / Sgt. Roderick Jacquote

VOA: CENTCOM Chief Warns of Resurgent IS Without Repatriation from Syrian Camps

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. general for military operations in the Middle East is warning of a potential Islamic State resurgence should the international community not act quickly to repatriate and deradicalize former members and supporters of the terror group who are in Syrian camps.

“We’re buying ourselves a strategic problem 10 years down the road, 15 years down the road, and we’re going to do this all over again. I would prefer to avoid that,” General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said during an online forum Wednesday hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).

The U.S.-led international coalition against Islamic State declared victory over the terror group last year, but an “interconnected ecosystem of problems” that requires an international agreement remains, McKenzie said.

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More News On U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie's Comments On ISIS, Iraq, And Iran

US commander: Islamic State threat in west Syria growing -- AP
Top General in Middle East Says U.S. Troop Levels Will Drop in Iraq and Syria -- NYT
U.S. general warns of long-term ISIS resurgence -- Washington Times
CENTCOM boss expects a long-term troop presence in Iraq -- Military Times
US General: Iran remains 'central problem' in Middle East -- The National
Iran Is Our Top Priority, Says Senior US Commander In Middle East -- Defense One

2 US Service Members Killed In Iraq During Anti-IS Operation

Two U.S. soldiers were killed as they accompanied and advised Iraqi security forces on a raid of an ISIS stronghold, according to the Combined Joint Task Force, which commands Operation Inherent Resolve. A convoy of U.S. military vehicles is seen in the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq

Daily Mail: Two US soldiers are killed while they accompanied security forces during a raid of an ISIS stronghold in Iraq

* Two U.S. service members were killed as they accompanied and advised Iraqi security forces on a raid of an ISIS stronghold
* The raid Sunday happened in the mountains of north-central Iraq, according to a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force
* The Task Force, which commands Operation Inherent Resolve, did not identify the soldiers, pending notification of their families

Two U.S. soldiers were killed as they accompanied and advised Iraqi security forces on a raid of an ISIS stronghold.

The service members were killed by 'enemy forces' on a mission to knock out the stronghold Sunday in the mountains of north-central Iraq, according to a statement posted online by the Combined Joint Task Force, which commands Operation Inherent Resolve.

The military group did not release any additional on how the soldiers were killed.

Read more ....

More News On 2 US Service Members Killed In Iraq During Anti-IS Operation

2 US service members killed fighting ISIS in Iraq -- Marine Times
2 US service members killed in Iraq during mission against ISIS -- FOX News
Two US service members killed in Iraq -- CNN
Iraq: Two US soldiers killed during Isis raid -- The Independent
Two US troops killed in anti-ISIS mission in northern Iraq -- The Hill
Two US soldiers killed in anti-ISIS mission in Iraq -- The National
2 US troops killed in Iraq during anti-IS operation -- RT

Would A U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq Mean An ISIS Resurgence?

© Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

The Hill: Pentagon watchdog: US withdrawal from Iraq would 'likely' mean ISIS resurgence

A U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq would “likely” lead to an ISIS resurgence, according to an intelligence assessment revealed in an inspector general report Tuesday.

“The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)’s analysis for the DoD OIG [Department of Defense Office of Inspector General] indicates that without a U.S. troop presence in Iraq, ISIS would likely resurge in Iraq,” Pentagon Inspector General Glenn Fine wrote in an introduction to the report.

The latest quarterly report from the lead inspector general for Operation Inherent Resolve comes as U.S.-Iraqi relations continue to reel from the fallout over the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport.

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WNU Editor: ISIS is already re-surging, even with the US presence .... UN: ISIS mounting increasingly bold attacks in Iraq and Syria (The National). More here .... Islamic State stepping up attacks in Syria and Iraq: UN (Sydney Morning Herald).

CENTCOM Commander: US Forces Stepping Up Islamic State Operations In Syria

General Frank McKenzie (centre) the top US commander for the Middle East on Saturday, during an unannounced visit to military outposts in Syria. Credit:AP

Sydney Morning Herald: US forces step up Islamic State operations in Syria

Green Village Base, Eastern Syria: US troops in Syria have picked up the pace of counter-terrorism operations following a lull, a top US commander says, but the future of the American mission remains uncertain amid changing dynamics in the Syrian conflict and the potential for renewed presidential intervention.

"The tempo is coming back," General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie jnr, who heads US Central Command, said on Saturday during a visit to a constellation of tiny American outposts in eastern Syria.

American troops in Syria, like those in neighbouring Iraq, shifted their focus from anti-extremist operations to force protection after a January 3 strike in Baghdad killed major-general Qasem Soleimani, Iran's most influential military figure. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at US troops in Iraq, causing no deaths, although a number of service members have suffered symptoms believed to be associated with traumatic brain injury.

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Update: General: US committed to Syria fight; Missions up against IS (AP)

WNU Editor: Boasting that US troops are now conducting three to four operations a week with Syrian Kurdish forces against the Islamic State in a region as vast as eastern Syria tells me that if this is what is called "picking up the pace", then ISIS as an effective fighting force is definitely finished. This trip is more PR, and to justify the US military presence in Syria.

U.S. Military Resumes Counter-Islamic State Operations In Iraq

US army soldiers sit next a military vehicle in the town of Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq, December 27, 2016. © REUTERS/Ammar Awad

NBC: U.S. restarts counter-ISIS operations paused after Soleimani killing

American troops in Iraq had focused on force protection rather than offensive operations after the senior Iranian general was killed in a drone strike.

The United States has restarted joint counter-ISIS operations with Iraq that were suspended after a drone strike killed a senior Iranian commander in Baghdad, two American military officials told NBC News late Wednesday.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media on the subject, said Iraq was now also interested in the resumption of the operations that have been in place since 2015 as the Islamic State militant group took control of swaths of Iraq and Syria.

However, Gen. Abdulkarim Khalaf, a spokesman for Iraq's armed forces, told the state run Iraq News agency that, his country, did not give permission to "the US-Led coalition to be active again."

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More News On The U.S. Military Resuming Counter-Islamic State Operations In Iraq

US military resumes operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq -- Military Times/AP
U.S. Military Resumes Joint Operations With Iraq -- The New York Times
Iraq denies resuming joint ops with US-led coalition -- AFP
US military resumes counter-Islamic State operations in Iraq -- Stars and Stripes
Joint US-Iraqi military operations against ISIS resume -- Kurdistan 24
US Resumes Military Operations With Iraq After 2-Week Pause - Reports -- Sputnik
US military resumes joint ops in Iraq that were halted after Soleimani's killing – reports -- RT

Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center: ISIS Has ‘A Lot Of Options’ To Attack Western Interests

US News and World Review: ISIS Remains Potent, Deadly Despite Baghdadi’s Death, Top Spy Says

The acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center says the Islamic State group has ‘a lot of options’ to attack Western interests.

Killing the Islamic State group's founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will have little effect on preventing the terrorist network from conducting future attacks, the top U.S. official for counterterror operations said Wednesday.

"There's no question that the losses over the weekend were significant to ISIS," Russell Travers, acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told a congressional panel, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group. "At the same time, it's a deep bench."

Despite a consistent U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria that effectively dismantled its so-called caliphate, the number of fighters in those countries aligned with the group has grown in the last five years from a low point of roughly 1,000 fighters, Travers told the House Homeland Security Committee. As many as 14,000 extremists remain there now, with roughly 2,000 in Syria from foreign countries.

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WNU Editor:  When it comes to radical Islam, I have learned one thing over the years. Never underestimate them. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may be dead, but the ideology that he was a part of is still alive and very active.

President Trump: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's Likely ISIS Successor Has Been 'Terminated'

Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2019

CBS: Trump says Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's likely ISIS successor has been "terminated"

The likely successor to the now-dead Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is also dead, President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. According to the president, the unidentified "number one replacement has been terminated by American troops."

"Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!" the president tweeted.

Read more ....

More News On President Trump Saying That Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's Likely ISIS Successor Has Been 'Terminated'

Trump says Baghdadi's top replacement also killed -- AFP
Trump says al-Baghdadi's 'number one replacement' is dead -- Al Jazeera
Trump announces death of al-Baghdadi successor -- The Hill
Trump says likely Baghdadi successor killed by U.S. troops -- Reuters
Meet the new boss, dead like the old boss? Trump claims Baghdadi’s likely replacement was ALSO killed by US troops -- RT

ISIS Spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir Is Killed In A U.S. Raid In Syria Just Hours After The ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Was Also Killed

Firefighters extinguish the flames of a burning truck at the spot where Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, the Islamic State group's spokesman was reportedly killed in a raid in the northern Syrian village of Ayn al-Bayda near Jarablus on Sunday

Daily Mail: New US-led assault in Syria 'kills ISIS spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir' just hours after the terror group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was wiped out in Commando raid

* The Kurdish official said IS spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir had been killed
* The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the death of al-Muhajir
* Earlier on Sunday, Trump said Baghdadi was killed, dying 'like a dog,' in a raid

The Islamic State group's spokesman was killed Sunday in northern Syria, a top Kurdish official said, hours after the jihadists' leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was announced dead.

The official with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces -- who asked not to be named because he is not authorised to speak on the issue -- said IS spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir had been killed, after SDF chief Mazloum Abdi said he had been 'targeted' in a fresh raid.

'Al-Muhajir, the right-hand of Baghdadi and the spokesman for IS, was targeted in the village of Ain al-Baydah near Jarablus, in a coordinated operation between SDF intelligence and the US army,' Abdi said on Twitter.

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Update: U.S. Strikes Kill ISIS Spokesperson One Day After Baghdadi's Death in Syria Raid (Newsweek)

WNU Editor: I doubt that this is a coincidence. The U.S. probably spotted him with al-Baghdadi before yesterday's raid, kept tabs on him after that, and then launched their raid right after the raid on al-Baghdadi.

Why Did The U.S. Carpet-Bomb This Iraqi Island?

Daily Beast: Why Did America Drop 40 Tons of Bombs on This Iraqi Island?

Can you defeat low-tech guerrillas and terrorists with super-sophisticated smart bombs? The record shows that’s often a dumb idea.

In a dramatic and destructive demonstration earlier this week, a formation of U.S. Air Force warplanes dropped 40 tons of bombs on an island in the Tigris River north of Baghdad.

Islamic State militants have been using Qanus Island in Salah ad Din province as a staging area, according to the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria.

Army Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a spokesman for the Pentagon’s Operation Inherent Resolve, described the island in a tweet as “Daesh-infested,” using an Arabic term for ISIS.

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WNU Editor: I viewed the strike more a PR effort than a real combat operation.

U.S. Carpet Bombs An ISIS Controlled Island In Iraq

VIDEO: Here’s what it looks like when @USAFCENT #F15 and #F35 jets drop 36,000 Kg of bombs on a Daesh infested island. 🛩💥 هكذا تبدوا الجزيرة الموبوءة بداعش بعد أن أسقطت عليها الطائرات المقاتلة #أف-15 و #أف-35 36,000 كغم من الذخيرة pic.twitter.com/2v6FAEL9Rn

— OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III (@OIRSpox) September 10, 2019

Jerusalem Post: U.S. Air Force uses F-35s to bomb ISIS island

The Spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the 81-member coalition to defeat ISIS wrote that this is what it looks like when CENTCOM Air Force jets bomb a “Daesh infested island.”

US Air Force F-35s and F-15s dropped 36,000 kilograms of bombs on an ISIS “infested” island in Iraq, leading to massive explosions and plumes of smoke that rose into the air just before dawn on Tuesday.

In one of the most explosive videos to come out of the war against ISIS the US tweeted film of massive explosions rocking an island. Spliced between aerial shots of the same explosions, and video from the ground with Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service members looking on, the island was pulverized. The Spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the 81-member coalition to defeat ISIS wrote that this is what it looks like when CENTCOM Air Force jets bomb a “Daesh infested island.”

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WNU Editor: That is an awesome display of firepower.

U.S. Secretary Of Defense Esper Disagrees With Pentagon Report That ISIS Is Resurging In Syria

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper

CNN: Defense secretary says ISIS not in a resurgent state in Syria despite Pentagon report saying ISIS is re-surging

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Wednesday that ISIS was not "in a resurgent state in Syria" despite a Pentagon inspector general report saying the terror group is re-surging in that country.

"I don't agree that ISIS is in a resurgent state in Syria, but that doesn't mean we haven't seen them spring up in places like Afghanistan," Esper said in an interview with Fox News, his first since becoming Defense secretary.

His comments appear to be at odds with a report from the Pentagon's Office of the Inspector General published earlier this month, which said ISIS was "re-surging" in Syria following President Donald Trump's decision to reduce troops there.

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Update: Administration muddles its ISIS message (Politico)

WNU Editor: ISIS is a shell of its former self, but ideology of radical Islam is still with us, and it is going to take generations (if not more) to defeat it.