US Claims Success in Killing Person in Charge of ISIS Attack Planning in Military Operation in Syria

JAKARTA - The United States carried out a successful military operation that killed a senior ISIS leader in Syria on Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday, the latest blow to the terrorist group.

The senior leader referred to is Khalid 'Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, the man responsible for planning ISIS attacks in Europe, as well as developing a leadership structure for the group, the statement said.

No civilians were killed or injured in this attack, said CENTCOM, adding that the group "continues to pose a threat to the region and beyond".

"Despite its degradation, the group is still able to conduct operations within the region with a view to striking outside the Middle East," the statement said.

It added that al-Jabouri's death "temporarily disrupted the ability of the Islamic State group to plan external attacks".

It is known that ISIS controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria at the height of its power in 2014, before being pushed back in both countries.

The group has an estimated 5.000 to 7.000 members and supporters scattered across Syria and Iraq, about half of whom are fighters, a UN report said in February.

The UN report also said the threat posed by ISIS and its affiliates to international peace and security was high in the second half of 2022, having increased in and around the conflict zones where they are located.

Late last year, ISIS announced that it had appointed a previously unknown figure, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi, as their leader, after the previous leader was killed in southern Syria.