US kills senior ISIS leader hiding in Somalia cave

The US military has killed a senior Islamic State leader in a raid of a mountainous cave complex in northern Somalia.

The US military has killed a senior Islamic State leader in a raid of a mountainous cave complex in northern Somalia.

Special operations forces targeted ISIS key financial facilitator Bilal al-Sudani and killed him and about 10 of his Sudanese associates in the assault on Thursday.

‘Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group’s operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan,’ stated Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

US intelligence officials tracked al-Sudani for years. He helped fund Islamic State operations in Africa and the ISIS-K branch in Afghanistan, senior Biden administration officials said.

The operation was approved by President Joe Biden earlier this week after he was briefed last week, following months of planning, according to administration officials.

Special operation troops planned to capture al-Sudani. However, his associates’ response when US troops raided the cave complex ‘resulted in his death’, a Biden administration official said.

The United States Africa Command stated that the US military ‘conducted a successful counterterrorism operation in Somalia’.

‘Given the remote location of the operation, the assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed,’ stated the command. ‘Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote greater security for all Africans.’

One American involved in the operation was bitten by a military dog but was not seriously hurt, a Biden administration official said.

The strike on Wednesday is the third one carried out by American forces in Somalia since January 20, according to the command.

‘This action leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism at home and abroad,’ stated Austin.

While there have been an increased number of Islamic State attacks in Africa, ISIS has had a smaller presence in Somalia than Al Shabab, a terrorist group with ties to Al Qaeda.

Source: msn