US Forces Kill ISIS Leader Responsible For Planning Europe Attacks In Covert Operation

The U.S. on Monday said it killed a high-ranking member of the Islamic State in Syria in a successful military operation. 

What Happened: The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it downed Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, who was responsible for devising the strategy for ISIS attacks in Europe and setting up the organization’s leadership hierarchy.

This came as another blow for a group once a significant source of terror in the Middle East.

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CENTCOM said that no civilians were killed or injured in this strike. However, the group “continues to represent a threat to the region and beyond.”

“Though degraded, the group remains able to conduct operations within the region with a desire to strike beyond the Middle East,” it said, adding that al-Jabouri’s death would “temporarily disrupt the group’s ability to plot external attacks.”

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The Islamic State gained control over large areas in Iraq and Syria, in 2014, during the height of its power. However, it later suffered major setbacks in both countries. 

According to the United Nations, in February, the group had an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 followers and supporters spread across Syria and Iraq, with about half of them being combatants.

The danger posed by the Islamic State and its associates to global peace and security was significant during the latter half of 2022 and has grown in areas of conflict where the group has a presence, the U.N. report said.

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