U.S., Iraqi forces target senior ISIS leader in Iraq operation
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – An American newspaper revealed on Wednesday night that a military operation conducted by U.S. and Iraqi forces last week in western Iraq was aimed at eliminating a high-ranking field leader of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The New York Times reported that this senior ISIS official was reportedly overseeing the group’s operations in the Middle East and Europe.
On Aug. 31, the U.S. military disclosed that seven American soldiers sustained injuries during the joint raid with Iraqi forces in Anbar province, western Iraq.
The newspaper noted that the operation involved more than 200 U.S. and Iraqi soldiers.
U.S. and Iraqi officials said “the size, scope and focus of the mission underscored the terrorist organization’s resurgence in recent months,” the New York Times reported.
U.S. officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the targeted ISIS leaders, including the high-ranking official, pending the completion of DNA analysis on the remains.
On Aug. 1, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said ISIS is no longer a significant threat to Iraq.
CENTCOM, however, said “ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. U.S. CENTCOM alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists.”
Charles Lister, the director of the Middle East Institute’s Syria and counterterrorism programs, told the New York Times that while Iraq has managed to address ISIS challenges effectively in recent years, “ISIS’s significant recovery next-door in Syria is cause for serious concern.”
He stressed that persistent monitoring of ISIS’s former “safe havens” in the Anbar desert is crucial to preventing any spillover from Syria into Iraq.