The leader of ISIS has been taken out in a bloody overnight U.S. raid in northwestern Syria, according to President Joe Biden. The battle is reported to have left several civilians dead, including six children.
In a statement posted Thursday morning, Biden announced: “Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces in the northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place.”
He added: “Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. All Americans have returned safely from the operation.” U.S. Special Forces carried out the two-hour operation in the small village of Atmeh inside the rebel-held Idlib province.
The Syrian Civil Defense, a group of volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said six kids and four women were among 13 killed in the chaos. One eyewitness who lives nearby told Reuters: “There was blood everywhere.” .–Reuters
