The U.S. military said it killed a top Islamic State leader and seriously wounded another in a drone strike in Syria.
U.S. Central Command said it killed Maher al-Agal, described as one of the terrorist organization’s five most senior leaders and its top official in Syria. It said that he had pushed to expand the organization’s development outside Iraq and Syria.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that, like the February operation that killed Islamic State’s “overall leader, it sends a powerful message to all terrorists who threaten our homeland and our interests around the world: The United States will be relentless in its efforts to bring you to justice.”
Central Command said in a statement that an “initial review indicates there were no civilian casualties.”
The wounded senior Islamic State official, who was described as close to al-Agal, wasn’t identified.