IS leader arrested in US operation in Syria: ‘Experienced bomb maker’ | Abroad

According to an official, it is Hani Ahmed Al-Kurdi, who was the IS leader of Raqqa when that place was the de facto capital of IS in Syria. Such operations by US forces are rare in parts of northwestern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed rebels.

No civilian casualties were reported in the nighttime operation in the village of Al-Humayrah, 4 kilometers from the Turkish border. The coalition said the mission was “mindly planned” to minimize the risk of collateral damage and civilian deaths.

A raid by coalition forces in early February resulted in the death of the group’s leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi, who detonated a bomb vest to prevent his arrest. Little is known about his successor Abu Hasan al-Quraishi, the third leader of the jihadist group. Media reports that he was arrested in Istanbul last month were never confirmed.

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