Saturday, May 16, 2015

Senior ISIS leader killed in U.S. raid in Syria - The Washington Post

Senior ISIS leader killed in U.S. raid in Syria - The Washington Post: U.S. Special Operations killed a senior Islamic State leader in a ground raid inside Syria on Friday night, the White House said in a statement Saturday.

The statement said that Abu Sayyaf, described as having a senior role in overseeing gas and oil operations that have been a key source of revenue for the militant group, had been killed when he “engaged U.S. forces” and resisted capture.

His wife, who was said to be an Islamic State member, was captured during the operation, and a young woman who appeared to be held as a slave of the couple was freed. The young woman was a member of the Yazidi sect in Iraq, the White House statement said.

“We intend to reunite her with her family as soon as feasible,” said National Security Council spokesman Bernadette Meehan.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in a separate statement that no U.S. forces were killed or injured during the operation.