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- Wanted Islamic State commander killed by U.S., Iraqi forces (newsbreak.com)
In a joint operation last month, Iraqi forces teamed up with American troops to eliminate a senior Islamic State commander wanted by the United States, along with several other notable militants, according to statements released Friday by the U.S. Central Command and Iraq’s military.
The mission, conducted on August 29 in Iraq’s western Anbar province, included members of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service and Iraq’s air force.
Among the more than a dozen militants killed was Abu Ali Al-Tunisi, an ISIS commander from Tunisia for whom the U.S. Treasury Department had offered a $5 million reward. Also killed was Ahmad Hamed Zwein, the Islamic State deputy commander in Iraq.
U.S. Central Command identified two other ISIS leaders who were killed: Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, who oversaw all ISIS operations in Iraq, and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi, who managed military operations in western Iraq.
Friday’s announcement was a follow-up to previous reports two weeks ago, where officials disclosed that a joint U.S.-Iraqi raid targeting suspected ISIS militants in the western desert resulted in at least 15 deaths and seven American troop injuries.
CENTCOM confirmed that 14 “ISIS operatives” were killed in the operation, with the Iraqi military validating the count through DNA tests. The identity of the 15th individual allegedly killed was not clarified by U.S. and Iraqi authorities.
Five American troops were wounded during the raid itself, while two others sustained injuries from falls. One was airlifted out of the region, and another was evacuated for further treatment, according to a U.S. defense official who chose to remain anonymous.
In their announcement, the Iraqi military highlighted that the operation also seized weapons, computers, smartphones, and 10 explosive belts.
The Islamic State group, which seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and declared a caliphate, was defeated in Iraq in 2017. By March 2019, the extremists lost their last stronghold in eastern Syria.
At its peak, ISIS controlled an area half the size of the United Kingdom, enforcing a strict interpretation of Islam that included attacks on religious minorities and harsh punishments for Muslims deemed apostates.
Despite their defeat, ISIS sleeper cell attacks in Iraq and Syria have increased, causing numerous casualties.
Earlier on Friday, U.S. Central Command announced that its forces had killed an ISIS attack cell member in eastern Syria. This individual was reportedly planting an improvised explosive device meant for use against coalition forces and their partners, including Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
In August last year, the U.S. agreed to enter discussions about transitioning from its role in assisting Iraq in combating ISIS. Currently, about 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, with their departure dependent on the security situation and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces.
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- Wanted Islamic State commander killed by U.S., Iraqi forces (newsbreak.com)