Months after U.S. intelligence operatives tracked the chief of the Islamic State terror group to a non-descript residential constructing in northwest Syria, Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, detonated an explosive, killing himself and his household whereas U.S. forces closed in.
The account of the IS chief’s loss of life Thursday, from senior U.S. administration officers, got here hours after experiences of a serious U.S. counterterrorism operation first started to emerge from Atmeh, a city in Syria’s Idlib province, not removed from the border with Turkey.
Accounts on social media described helicopters and U.S. forces descending on the three-story constructing as a part of a hourslong operation, with some saying U.S. forces used loudspeakers to get civilians out of the constructing earlier than an intense firefight erupted.
U.S. raid and civilian casualties
However the U.S. officers, talking on situation of anonymity to debate the operation intimately, stated a lot of the loss of life and destruction was attributable to al-Mawla, also referred to as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi and as Hajji ‘Abdallah, and one in all his lieutenants who additionally lived within the constructing, and had been decided to not be taken alive.
“In a last act of cowardice and disrespect for human life, Hajji ‘Abdallah detonated a blast, a major blast killing himself and a number of other others, together with his spouse and youngsters,” one of many officers stated throughout a name with reporters. “The blast was so massive on the third flooring that it blew our bodies outdoors of the home and into the encircling areas.”
The IS lieutenant, U.S. officers stated, then proceeded to barricade himself together with his spouse and household on the second flooring and engaged U.S. forces earlier than being killed.
U.S. officers stated they might not verify what number of civilians had been killed within the operation, emphasizing the IS chief appeared to have chosen to dwell within the residential constructing exactly due to the presence of civilians, together with households with youngsters.
Teams, just like the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated Thursday that no less than 13 folks had been killed, together with three ladies and 4 youngsters.
The U.S. officers stated earlier than the preliminary explosion — set off by al-Mawla — one household, together with a mom, father and a number of other youngsters had been in a position to escape. One other group of 4 youngsters managed to flee following the loss of life of al-Mawla’s lieutenant.
The officers stated, nonetheless, that each one efforts to get different civilians out of the constructing had been purposely hampered by the IS leaders.
“All casualties on the web site had been because of the acts of ISIS terrorists and contained in the residents,” the official stated, utilizing one other acronym for the Islamic State group. “ISIS has been clear over and over its utter and full disregard for human life and that was clearly on show all through the operation final evening.”
Biden remarks
U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed al-Mawla’s loss of life in a press release early Thursday, praising “the ability and bravado of our Armed Forces.”
“Final evening at my course, U.S. navy forces in northwest Syria efficiently undertook a counterterrorism operation to guard the American folks and our allies, and make the world a safer place,” Biden stated. “All People have returned safely from the operation.”
Talking later Thursday on the White Home, Biden stated the operation to take al-Mawla off the battlefield ought to ship a robust message.
“This operation is testomony to America’s attain and functionality to take out terrorist threats regardless of the place they attempt to cover,” he stated. “We are going to come after you and discover you.”
The U.S. president additionally praised the work of the U.S. intelligence group and the “important partnership” of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, noting al-Mawla was immediately concerned within the planning of IS’ latest weeklong assault on a jail in Hasaka, in northeastern Syria, in an try and free 1000’s of detained IS fighters.
U.S. officers stated each Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris watched the operation unfold from the White Home State of affairs room, keenly conscious of the hazard of attempting to get the fear chief as he hid amongst civilians.
“It was an express determination to conduct a raid versus a standoff strike of any type,” a second senior administration official stated. “We had a superb sense of who was within the constructing … and had taken quite a few safeguards all through the rehearsals and planning to guard these people.”
The officers stated planning for the operation started months earlier, with the president getting a last briefing in December that included a mannequin of the realm, highlighting the risks concerned, each for civilians and for U.S. forces who had been going to be on the bottom for about two hours.
In addition they stated particular forces even deliberate for the probability that al-Mawla would kill himself with an explosive gadget, finding out the constructing to verify a detonation wouldn’t convey it down.
“We had excessive confidence that if he did that as he did, that the constructing would stay structurally sound because it did,” the primary official stated. “However I simply wish to emphasize, I doubt he knew that. And it was most likely his intent to kill all people in that constructing.”
Officers stated regardless of the success of the preliminary operation, there have been some problems.
One of many helicopters used to get troops to al-Mawla’s hideout skilled mechanical difficulties and needed to be deserted and destroyed shortly after leaving the positioning.
U.S. forces additionally briefly got here underneath assault from fighters with the al-Qaida affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), killing two of them within the ensuing firefight.
Al-Mawla
Al-Mawla took management of IS in November 2019, shortly after U.S. particular forces killed former chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, additionally in a raid in northwestern Syria.
IS media officers rapidly sought to construct help for al-Mawla, posting a stream of pictures and movies exhibiting the fear teams numerous associates pledging allegiance to the brand new emir.
However not like Baghdadi, who made uncommon however periodic appearances, al-Mawla was way more reclusive to evade the identical destiny as his predecessor.
One United Nations counterterrorism report final 12 months famous, al-Mawla “stays reluctant to speak immediately with supporters.”
Nonetheless, it isn’t completely stunning U.S. forces tracked al-Mawla to northwestern Syria, which historically has been a hub for teams affiliated with al-Qaida, IS’ major rival.
Western counterterrorism officers and U.N. member state intelligence businesses have lengthy warned Idlib, specifically, “stays a strategic location for [IS] fighters and relations, specifically as a gateway to Turkey.”
And in March 2020, the commander of U.S. Central Command, Common Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, stated there are “remnants of ISIS” in Idlib “that do entertain assault plans towards us.”
Disrupting IS operations
The loss of life of al-Mawla might be a pivotal blow to IS, which till now has confirmed to be resilient within the face of main setbacks.
“We anticipate that that is going to result in disruption inside ISIS,” in keeping with a senior administration official. “He is actually one of many few remaining, lets name them legacy leaders.”
U.S. officers stated that whereas al-Mawla sought to maintain a low profile, he remained in management to run IS by means of a community of couriers, overseeing operations in Syria and Iraq, whereas additionally directing coordination with IS associates all over the world, a job he performed even underneath the group’s earlier chief.
U.S. intelligence official beforehand stated al-Mawla had been a key architect of the Islamic State’s slaughter of the Yazidi spiritual minority.
Al-Mawla’s loss of life additionally comes months after IS suffered a severe setback in Iraq.
This previous October, Iraqi forces arrested Sami Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi, also referred to as Hajji Hamid, described by the Pentagon as “one in all ISIS’s most senior leaders.”
One Western counterterrorism official, talking to VOA on the situation of anonymity to debate intelligence, known as al-Jaburi’s arrest “very important” as Al-Jaburi was seen as a candidate to doubtlessly change al-Mawla ought to he be killed or captured.
