US President Joe Biden: ISIS Leader ‘Mawla The Destroyer’ Has Been Killed In A Raid
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi – aka Mawla the Destroyer and the current leader of terrorist organisation ISIS – has been killed in a military raid, US President Joe Biden announced today.
“Last night at my direction, U.S. 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,” Biden said in the statement.
“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.”
A large-scale counterterrorism raid was carried out by US special forces in northwestern Syria early this morning, the Pentagon confirmed.
Thirteen people were killed in the raid, including four women and six children.
The raid lasted around two hours in the quiet village of Atmeh near Turkey.
There were no US casualties.
“The first moments were terrifying, no one knew what was happening,” said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident who lives in a nearby refugee camp.
“We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us.”
Images shared by US special forces show a two-storey house severely damaged, with the upper floor mostly blown out.
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurashi was a veteran jihadist fighter who had fought against the US in the past.
With the name “al-Qurashi”, the group also made clear that he claims to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad’s Quraysh tribe – something generally held by pre-modern Sunni scholars as being a key qualification for becoming a caliph.
Cover photo inset: Aaref Watad/AFP/Getty
Cover photo left: Newlinesmag
Cover photo right: Stock image from previous US raids
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