Joe Biden said the operation made "the world a safer place".
US President Joe Biden has said that the leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, has died.
The announcement was made on
Government websites on Thursday morning.
"Last night at my direction, US military forces in the northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place," Presiden Biden said.
"Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi—the leader of ISIS.
"All Americans have returned safely from the operation. I will deliver remarks to the American people later this morning.
"May God protect our troops," he concluded.
According to
Reuters, 13 people along with Qurayshi were killed, including six women and four children.
Qurayshi detonated a bomb during the raid which killed himself and several family members.
Pentagon Press Secretary Jack Kirby released a statement confirming the operation via the
US Department of Defence.
“US Special Operations forces under the control of US Central Command conducted a counterterrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria," Kirby said.
"The mission was successful. There were no US casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
The White House tweeted a photo of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris observing the operation.
https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1489220744320012289?s=20&t=L5EqbNIghQ6nl6YwPeZjZA
The ISIS leader was found in the town of Atmeh, near the Turkish border.
Qurayshi was the second leader of the Islamic State, following Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death in 2019.
Baghdadi died in a similar fashion during a US-led raid, as President at the time Donald Trump described as dying "
like a dog".
President Biden is set to speak later on today to provide more information on the raid.
