Isis leader killed - latest news: Biden says Qurayshi killing is warning to terrorists
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that US Special Forces killed the leader of the Islamic State during a raid in northwest Syria.
Rescue workers have said that women and children are among the 13 people who died in the raid.
Mr Biden said in a statement that the leader of the terrorist group was killed. He has been identified by ISIS as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
The leader reportedly died at the start of the raid when he discharged an explosive that killed him as well as members of his family.
“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our armed forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi – the leader of ISIS,” Mr Biden said in his statement. “All Americans have returned safely from the operation.”
Two dozen American special forces conducted the raid with the support of helicopter gunships, armed drones, and fighter jets, according to The New York Times.
Al-Qurayshi succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as ISIS leader after al-Baghdadi was killed during a US raid in October 2019.
Key Points
Joe Biden’s full statement on raid that killed ISIS leader
UNICEF: At least six children killed in northwest Syria overnight
Islamic State leader killed as US special forces target suspected jihadists in Syria
How the raid unfolded
Death of ISIS leader major blow to terror group, analysts say
Joe Biden’s full statement on raid that killed ISIS leader
13:49 , Gustaf Kilander
“Last night at my direction, US military forces in northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our allies, and make the world a safer place,” Mr Biden said.
“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our armed forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS. All Americans have returned safely from the operation. I will deliver remarks to the American people later this morning. May God protect our troops,” he added.
Islamic State leader killed as US special forces target suspected jihadists in Syria
13:56 , Bel Trew
The announcement of al-Qurayshi’s death came following a “large-scale” counterterrorism raid in the town of Idlib, home to several top al-Qaeda operatives and senior members of the Islamic State. Former Isis chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was killed in a Trump-era raid, also on Idlib in 2019.
The deadly overnight led to other casualties, with first responders telling The Independent that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.
The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said the victimd were killed in shelling and battle that followed after the US commando raid.
They said that the raid went on for three hours and they managed to rescue an injured child whose entire family had been killed in the operation.
Footage apparently taken at the scene in the quiet village of Atmeh near to the Turkish border showed men digging through the rubble of a partially destroyed two-storey house.
Read more:
Islamic State leader killed as US special forces target suspected jihadists in Syria
UNICEF: At least six children killed in northwest Syria overnight
14:11 , Gustaf Kilander
The UN children’s aid agency UNICEF has said that at least six children were killed in northwest Syria overnight.
Bertrand Bainvel, the acting UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement that the agency has confirmed that “at least six children were killed and one girl was badly injured overnight in the border town of Atmeh in the northwest of Syria due to heavy violence”.
“According to reports, civilian-populated areas were severely damaged,” he said. “Since the year began, violence has heavily escalated in and around Idlib in Syria’s northwest, home to 1.2 million children in need of assistance.”
“Many families in the area are internally displaced, having fled violence in other parts of Syria over the years,” he added. “Last year, nearly 70 per cent of grave violations recorded against children in Syria occurred in the northwest.”
“This recent increase in violence comes amid freezing weather conditions and record sub-zero temperatures in Syria and the region,” Mr Bainvel continued. “At least five Syrian children died in the north of Syria due to harsh winter conditions in the past two weeks alone”.
Photos show devastation following US raid that led to ISIS leader’s death
14:28 , Gustaf Kilander
Death of ISIS leader major blow to terror group, analysts say
14:47 , Gustaf Kilander
The US raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was conducted days after the end of the most substantial US combat period with the Islamic State since its’ so-called caliphate collapsed three years ago.
US armed forces supported a militia led by Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria to take out ISIS terrorists who had gained control of a prison in the city of Hasaka, according to The New York Times.
The raid that killed the terrorist leader resembled that of the mission that led to the death of his predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in October 2019.
While not much is known about al-Qurayshi, observers have said that his death will have a significant impact on the terrorist group.
How the raid unfolded
15:17 , Gustaf Kilander
Helicopters brought US special forces to the house of the ISIS leader after midnight in Atmeh, a town that’s close to the Turkish border.
A lengthy standoff then took place, with speakers issuing warnings in Arabic urging everyone in the residential building to surrender, according to people living in the area.
Combat began after two hours when those inside the house had refused to leave. The battle included machine gun fire and a blast that damaged the house, taking out some of its walls and windows.
One of the US helicopters had a mechanical malfunction during the siege and was abandoned and destroyed.
Witnesses say that the US forces left the area after about three hours. The timeline and version of events may change as further reports emerge.
Witnesses share firsthand experience of US operation that led to death of Isis leader
15:37 , Bel Trew
Residents of the sleepy village of Atmeh where a US raid killed Isis leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi Qurashi, told The Independent that they were woken after midnight by the sounds of helicopters above them.
Terrified and alone with her mother and sister, Sima, 22 (not her real name) said they moved away from the windows as a precaution.
“We heard a voice from loudspeakers saying the women and children should get out of the house that was being targeted. But we didn’t know which house was the target,” she said sharing audio she recorded of the helicopters and her panicked relatives. “We heard the sound of clashes and fighting. First the aircraft, then the sound of shelling then at 2am what sounded like machine guns from the helicopter. It went on until past 3 o’clock.”
She said that they also heard what sounded like six airstrikes. Her family, who are internally displaced from another part of Syria, did not know who was living in the three-storey house that had been hit.
“Most of the second floor is now missing, inside there was a lot of destruction,” she said. Videos taken from the scene and shared online showed blood-smeared walls.
The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, told The Independent that, in total, 13 people were killed, including six children and four women, in the shelling and fighting that followed.
They said that the raid went on for three hours and they managed to rescue an injured child whose entire family had been killed in the operation.
Unicef also confirmed that six children had been killed in the raid and added that one girl was badly injured.
An Iraqi intelligence official, who had knowledge of the raid told The Independent, that al-Qurashi blew up a suicide belt he was wearing during the raid.
The official, who could not be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said that Iraqi intelligence services had played a “pivotal” role in the attack.
“About seven aircraft were used including drones and a helicopter,” he said.
“Qurashi barricaded himself in using his family,” he added.
Biden says ‘we remain vigilant’ following death of Isis leader
15:57 , Gustaf Kilander
Speaking on Thursday after the operation that led to the death of the leader of Isis, President Joe Biden said: “We remain vigilant. We remain prepared.”
“Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world – We will come after you and find you,” he added.
President Biden, Vice President Harris and members of the President’s national security team observe the counterterrorism operation responsible for removing from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS. pic.twitter.com/uhK75WeUme
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 3, 2022
‘We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft,’ refugee camp resident says
16:17 , Bel Trew
In one video shared online, a man who claimed to be a neighbour said that he heard soldiers tell the women and children to leave the house first. They said there were body parts scattered near the site of the raid.
The raid was in an area largely controlled by Turkish-backed fighters but is also an al-Qaeda stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival Isis group, have also sought refuge in the region.
Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp told The Associated Press that the first moments were “terrifying, no one knew what was happening”.
“We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us,” he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad’s forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.
The top floor of the house was almost totally destroyed in Thursday’s raid, with the ceiling and walls knocked out.
Biden says al-Qurayshi killing is warning to enemies: ‘We will come after you’
16:37 , Eric Garcia, Bel Trew
President Joe Biden said that the United States’ counterterrorism operation that killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was a clear message that the United States would go after those who threaten the United States and its allies.
The president’s remarks come after the Pentagon said that it carried out a “large-scale” counterterrorism raid in Syria that killed 13 people, including six children and four women.
“We remain vigilant. We remain prepared,” the president said at the White House. “Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world – We will come after you and find you.”
Mr Biden noted that al-Qurayshi was responsible for the genocide of the Yazidi people in Northwestern Iraq in 2014.
The president said that he directed the Department of Defence to take every precaution possible to minimize civilian casualties.
“Knowing that this terrorist had chosen to surround himself with families, including children, we made a choice to pursue a special forces raid, at a much greater risk to our own people rather than targeting him with an airstrike,” he said. “We made this choice to minimise civilian casualties.”
Mr Biden said that the United States was still compiling a report but that it does know that as troops approached to capture al-Qurayshi, he blew himself up.
“Not just with a vest but to blow up that third floor rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed taking several members of his family with him, just as his predecessor did,” Mr Biden said. al-Qurayshi succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who died in a similar US operation in October 2019.
Photos show decimated building after US operation that killed Isis leader
16:57 , Gustaf Kilander
Biden approves strategy he opposed in 2011 death of Osama Bin Laden
17:17 , Gustaf Kilander
President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the decision to send in special forces instead of conducting an airstrike had been an effort to minimize civilian casualties.
He said that Isis leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was behind numerous horrific acts.
“Thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible terrorist leader is no more,” Mr Biden said in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
He added that he “made a choice to pursue a Special Forces raid at a much greater risk to our own people” rather than destroying the entire building with a missile.
A similar judgement was made in the operation that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden in 2011.
According to The New York Times, Mr Biden, who was serving as vice president at the time, was against using special forces at that point because he viewed the mission as too risky for US troops.
“This operation is testament to America’s reach and capability to take out terrorist threats no matter where they try to hide anywhere in the world,” Mr Biden added on Thursday.
Afghanistan withdrawal appear not to have harmed intelligence gathering to find ISIS leader
17:37 , Gustaf Kilander
President Joe Biden’s speech on Thursday came after an operation that was the endpoint of a mission that began late last year when US intelligence indicated that al-Qurayshi was living in northwest Syria, close to the border with Turkey.
Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, some in the US government worried that ISIS would regain control of territory.
CIA Director William Burns told Congress that US intelligence operations against ISIS could be harmed.
But as the US looked for al-Qurayshi, the Afghanistan withdrawal didn’t appear to pose any problems, with intelligence officers finding him in late 2021 after following a number of couriers, The New York Times reported.
The US was able to evaluate the building in which he was living and discovered that the family who lived downstairs were unaware that he was running a global terror network. A plan to take him out was then formed, focusing on limiting civilian casualties.
US officials have blamed al-Qurayshi, who detonated an explosive device before he could be eliminated by US forces, for at least some of the 13 deaths that have been reported.
Inside the midnight raid to kill an Isis leader
17:40 , Richard Hall, Bel Trew
It began shortly after midnight. Residents of the Syrian town of Atmeh, just across the border from Turkey, were awoken by the deafening buzz of helicopters close above them. The aircraft were carrying a team of US commandos, who disembarked and surrounded a residential building. Through loudspeakers, the soldiers called in Arabic for the people inside to surrender.
Terrified and alone with her mother and sister, local resident Sima, 22 (not her real name) said they moved away from the windows as a precaution.
“We heard a voice from loudspeakers saying the woman and children should get out of the house that was being targeted. But we didn’t know which house was the target,” she told The Independent.
Thousands of miles away, in the White House situation room, US president Joe Biden, vice president Kamala Harris and top generals followed the operation closely. The raid to kill Isis leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had been months in the planning. Mr Biden had given the final order for the raid on Tuesday.
But just as soon as it began, the world’s most-wanted militant leader carried out the task himself, detonating a bomb that killed himself and his family. The blast threw bodies onto the street below, according to witnesses.
Read more:
Inside the midnight raid to kill an Isis leader
Photos show top US officials monitoring raid that killed Isis leader
17:55 , Gustaf Kilander
US forces had been watching Isis leader’s home for months
17:58 , Richard Hall, Bel Trew
The US military had been watching the house where al-Qurayshi was killed for months. Atmeh is controlled by Syrian opposition forces dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly the Nusra Front, which was formerly linked to Al Qaeda. The former Isis leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in a US-led operation just 10 miles from Atmeh in October 2019.
Officials said they knew Qurayshi had lived there with a lieutenant, that couriers came in and out of the building, and that he was still directly overseeing Isis activities across Iraq and Syria. A little over 10 days ago, Isis fighters launched a brazen attack on a prison in northeast Syria in an attempt to free its comrades. The 20 January attack lasted for 10 days and saw dozens of Isis fighters engage with US forces and allies the Syrian Democratic Forces. It was the largest Isis attack since the collapse of the group’s caliphate nearly three years ago and sparked warnings of a resurgence.
