A Top ISIS Official Assassinated By US Drone Strike In Syria

A high ranked Leader of the ISIS has been assassinated by the United States on Tuesday, it happened after an American drone strike in northwest Syria hitting him and his deputy.

The strike killed senior ISIS leader Maher al-Agal, US officials said Tuesday morning, taking credit for the daytime attack in the northern village of Khaltan in the Syrian countryside.

Al-Agal one of the top five leaders in the terrorist group was riding a motorbike in the village when he was targeted by the American missile, which killed him instantly.

Another senior ISIS official was also hit by the attack, officials said, but survived. The official, who was not named, was reportedly wounded. The extent of his injuries are unknown.

Al-Agal’s body, which was badly burned and mutilated in the attack, was transported to an Idlib hospital.

The attack took place in the Jenderies district in Afrin – an area northwest of Aleppo, near the country’s shared border with Turkey.

The war-torn region has been under occupation by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) since March 2018.

Despite this, the region has become a haven for hundreds of ISIS terrorists and leaders in recent years, who have made use of the areas sprawling mountain ranges and fields to set up bases of operations amid the ongoing civil war.

The attack serves as a reminder of the US’ pledge to aid the Syrian government in their struggles against the militant group.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) – a Department of Defense combatant command – took credit for the attack Tuesday, saying ‘extensive planning’ went into the strike, but kept details sparse as to its specifics.

‘This strike reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS,’ Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for the agency told reporters, adding that the strike saw no civilian casualties.

“The removal of these ISIS leaders will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out global attacks.”

The colonel added: “Extensive planning went into this operation to ensure its successful execution.”

According to Buccino, al-Agal was responsible for developing ISIS networks outside of Iraq and Syria.

The attack serves as the latest blow to the Islamist insurgent group’s efforts to reorient toward a more guerrilla approach to their conflict with the Syrian army which is backed by several NATO countries including Turkey and the US – after losing large swathes of territory after a series of defeats in 2019.