A key ISIS leader has been killed.
U.S. Special Forces have conducted a raid inside Syria that killed a senior ISIS leader, Abu Sayyaf. Sayyaf was killed after he engaged with U.S. forces. All U.S. troops involved have returned safely.
U.S. Intelligence officials have confirmed that the target was this ISIS leader who’s role in the terrorist organization was equivalent to that of a CFO.
According to senior officials, Sayyaf, a Tunisian citizen, was a high-ranking ISIS figure who had a senior role in overseeing the terrorist organization’s felonious oil and gas operations – a key source of revenue for the group, which enables them to carry out some of the most brutal acts of terror we’ve ever seen. He was also involved in the group’s military operations. Sayyaf is believed to have had direct knowledge of ISIS hostage operations and was likely in contact with the groups leader.
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter ordered the raid at the direction of President Barack Obama. National Security Council spokeswoman, Bernadette Meehan said that Obama authorized the raid “upon the unanimous recommendation of his national security team,” once they were confident that all pieces were in place for the operation to be successful.
This is the first publicly declared special forces operation by the U.S. in Syria since their failed attempt to rescue American hostages held by ISIS last summer, including American journalist James Foley.
“The operation represents another significant blow to ISIL, and it is a reminder that the United States will never waver in denying safe havens to terrorists who threaten our citizens, and those of our friends and allies,” said Defense Secretary Carter. ISIL is an alternative acronym for ISIS.
This was by no means a quiet operation. There was hand in hand combat involving U.S. Special-Ops and ISIS fighters. According to The Daily Beast “Some ISIS fighters hid behind women in an attempt to use them as human shields, and the second defense official said the U.S. troops had to “literally shoot around” the human shields to kill the fighters.”
About a dozen ISIS fighters were also killed in the raid, and special forces were able to capture Abu Sayyaf’s wife, Umm Sayyaf, and take her into custody. She is currently in military detention in Iraq. A young Yazidi woman was also rescued during the operation.
The interrogation of Umm Sayyaf may yield highly valuable information about the brutal terrorist organization. “We suspect that Umm Sayyaf is a member of ISIL, played an important role in ISIL’s terrorist activities, and may have been complicit in the enslavement of the young woman rescued last night,” said Meehan.
U.S. officials also say they have recovered reams of ISIS data.
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