US-led coalition troops detained a senior ISIS leader overnight Thursday inside Syria, the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said.
“The detained individual was assessed to be an experienced bomb maker and facilitator who became one of the group’s top leaders in Syria,” according to the statement.
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Videos on social media showed multiple choppers flying over an unspecified area in Syria. The Coalition did not elaborate on where or how the operation was carried out. “The mission was meticulously planned to minimize the risk of collateral damage, particularly any potential harm to civilians,” the Coalition said, adding that no civilians were harmed.
The Coalition also said none of their aircraft or assets were damaged, despite reports suggesting clashes ensued between Turkish-backed rebels and the Coalition troops.
“Coalition forces will continue to hunt the remnants of Daesh [ISIS] wherever they hide to ensure their enduring defeat,” the US-led coalition said.
Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden announced a special operation carried out by US troops, killing ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
The individual captured on Thursday was not named. US intelligence officials have warned that ISIS and other terror groups like al-Qaeda are looking to regroup and attack Western targets. This threat increased following the colossal withdrawal from Afghanistan ordered by Biden last summer.
Read more: Biden says ISIS leader killed during US raid in Syria
