US special forces have “taken off the battlefield” the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in a raid in northwest Syria, President Joe Biden said on Thursday, adding that the operation had "removed a major terrorist threat".
"Last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield and sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you," Biden said in remarks from the White House, hours after the raid in which IS group leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi blew himself up.