Daesh leader blows himself up in US raid in north-west Syria, which killed 13 others

A raid by US Special Forces in north-western Syria has taken out the leader of the terror group, Daesh, today, which also resulted in the killing of 13 others, including women and children.

The raid by US commandos – which witnesses said involved helicopters, explosions and machine-gun fire –  took place in the city of Atmeh in the north-western Syrian province of Idlib in the early hours of the morning, lasting for around two hours.

According to the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, the number of those who died as a result of the raid was 13 people, including four women and six children.

Following the strike, the Pentagon labelled it a successful, large-scale counter-terrorism raid and hailed the fact that there “were no US casualties.” It added that “More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

This afternoon, it was then announced that the raid was conducted to intercept the leader of Daesh, Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurayshi, and that some of the others who died were his family members. In a brief statement, US President, Joe Biden, stated that the raid was a “counter-terrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place.”

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Biden said that the special forces raid was chosen, instead of a missile strike, in an effort to avoid civilian casualties. That aim failed, however, when Al-Qurayshi “exploded a bomb that killed him and members of his own family” as the raid was under way, according to a senior Biden administration official who talked to CBS News.

The President praised the raid and the Special Forces commandos who conducted it as a “testament to America’s reach and capability to take out terrorists anywhere they hide in the world.” He warned the leaders of other groups that “We will come after you and find you”.

The killing of Al-Quraishi comes around three years after the previous Daesh leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, was killed in a similar raid by US forces. That strike also took place in Idlib, raising concern amongst many as to how members and the leadership of Daesh and other groups can find haven in the province.

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