US Special Forces killed ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi on a counter-terror mission in northwestern Syria on Wednesday night, CNN reported.
This was announced on Thursday morning by the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
According to CNN, it was the largest US raid in the country since the 2019 operation that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
At least 13 people were killed in clashes during and after the raid, including six children and four women, according to the Syrian civil defense group White Helmets.
There were no US casualties, according to the Pentagon.
“Last night, under my direction, US military forces in northwestern Syria successfully conducted a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our allies and make the world a safer place,” Biden said in a statement.
“Thanks to the skill and courage of our Armed Forces, we have removed Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi, the leader of ISIS, from the battlefield. All of the Americans have returned safely from the operation.”
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement late Wednesday that the mission was conducted by US Central Command, which controls military operations and activities in the Middle East.
ISIS named al-Qurashi as its new leader in November 2019 at the same time the terror group confirmed that al-Baghdadi had been killed.