President Joe Biden announced today that a U.S. raid in northwestern Syria killed top Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Al-Qurayshi became the leader of the Islamic State after the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed in a similar 2019 raid led by U.S. Special Operations forces.
"Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces in northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place," Biden said in a statement. In Thursday morning remarks on the raid, he praised the "signature preparation and precision" U.S. troops employed in carrying out the attack, and noted that he "directed the Department of Defense to take every precaution possible to minimize civilian casualties."
