US military claims to have killed Islamic State leader responsible for attacks in Europe

A leader of the Islamic State jihadist group was killed in an American strike in Syria on Tuesday April 4, announced the American military command for the Middle East (Centcom). Khaled Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri was notably “responsible for planning attacks on the[Etat islamique] in Europe”Centcom said in a statement, noting that his death was going to “temporarily disrupt the organization’s ability to stage attacks abroad”.

The US military command reports Tuesday’s strike was carried out in northwestern Syria and says no civilians were killed or injured in the raid. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), an American drone targeted the leader of the IS in the province of Idleb, in an area controlled by the jihadists. The man, an Iraqi who pretended to be a Syrian and called himself Khaled, had taken refuge in this region ten days ago, specifies the OSDH, which has a vast network of sources in Syria. He was targeted by the drone as he was walking near his home and talking on the phone, according to this NGO.