Biden says U.S. raid in Syria targeted leader of Islamic State

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (not seen) host the National Governors Association from the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Leah Millis

U.S. President Joe Biden said a U.S. special forces counter-terrorism raid in northwest Syria on Thursday targeted the leader of Islamic State, adding he would address the operation in remarks later on Thursday.

"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," Biden said in a statement, referring to the acronym by which the Sunni Islamist militant group is sometimes known.