The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday that four ISIS leaders were killed in a joint US-Iraqi military operation in western Iraq last month, including the groupโs operations chief in the country.
โThe operation, which took place on August 29, targeted ISIS leaders and aimed to disrupt and degrade the organizationโs ability to plan, coordinate, and execute attacks against Iraqi civilians,โ CENTCOM said in a statement posted on the X platform.
The operation resulted in the killing of 14 members of the organization, and the wounding of 5 American soldiers, in addition to the injury of two others as a result of their stumbling and falling.
The CENTCOM statement identified the four leaders who were killed as โAhmed al-Ithawi, the leader of ISIS operations in Iraq; Abu Humam, who oversaw operations in western Iraq; Abu Ali al-Tunisi, who managed weapons development and manufacturing; and Shaker al-Issawi, who led ISIS military operations in western Iraq.โ
The statement quoted General Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of the US Central Command, as affirming the commitment to โdefeating the organization, which continues to threaten the United States, our allies, partners, and regional stability.โ
The operation comes amid ongoing talks between Baghdad and Washington regarding the presence of coalition forces in Iraq.
Although Iraq has set a goal of complete withdrawal of coalition forces, no timetable has been announced for this withdrawal.
There are about 2,500 American soldiers stationed in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the international coalition against ISIS.
CENTCOM had previously announced the killing of a member of the organization on Wednesday in a raid in eastern Syria. Reports indicated that the member was in the process of planting an improvised explosive device before he was targeted.
Coalition forces have been hit by dozens of drone and missile attacks in Iraq and Syria amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza since early October.
US forces carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against factions that targeted their bases in both countries.
Last updated: September 14, 2024 – 11:01
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2024-09-15 19:57:28