Islamic State leader killed in US strike

A leader of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group was killed in Syria in an American strike carried out using a drone, announced on Sunday July 9, the American military command in the Middle East (Centcom). This raid, carried out on Friday in eastern Syria, resulted in the death of Osama al-Muhajer, said Centcom boss General Michael Kurilla.

“We have made it clear that we remain committed to defeating ISIS across the region,” General Kurilla said. “ISIS remains a threat, not just to the region, but also beyond,” he added.

An international coalition to fight ISIS

According to Centcom, no civilians were killed in this operation. The forces of the international coalition, led by the United States, however, report an injured civilian. The strike “was carried out by the same (American drones) MQ-9 which had (…) been harassed by the Russian military aviation”, according to the same source.

On Thursday, Russian military planes harassed US drones taking part in operations against IS, according to the Pentagon. According to the same source, it was the second incident of this nature in less than 24 hours. In 2014, the United States set up an international coalition to fight against the IS which had seized vast territories in Syria and Iraq thanks in particular to the war in Syria, which began in 2011.

The defeat of the IS “caliphate” in Syria was proclaimed in 2019, but the coalition remained in the country to fight against jihadist cells which continue to operate there.