U.S. government officials have confirmed that a key senior ISIS commander named Abu Sayyaf, has been killed by U.S. Special Operations forces during a raid in eastern Syria. Read more on the story after the jump!
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said that ISIS commander, Abu Sayyaf, was killed after being caught in a raid. His wife, Umm Sayyaf, was caught and is being held in Iraq. Carter said he had ordered the raid at the direction of President Barack Obama. All the U.S. troops involved returned safely.
National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Obama authorized the raid “upon the unanimous recommendation of his national security team.” She continued by saying, “Abu Sayyaf was a senior ISIL leader who, among other things, had a senior role in overseeing ISIL’s illicit oil and gas operations — a key source of revenue that enables the terrorist organization to carry out their brutal tactics and oppress thousands of innocent civilians. He was also involved with the group’s military operations…We suspect that Umm Sayyaf is a member of ISIL, played an important role in ISIL’s terrorist activities, and may have been complicit in the enslavement of the young woman rescued last night,” said Meehan. ISIL is another acronym for ISIS.
Meehan added that Obama is “grateful to the brave U.S. personnel who carried out this complex mission as well as the Iraqi authorities for their support of the operation and for the use of their facilities, which contributed to its success.” CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen said “Taking out the guy who runs effectively the most important financing stream is obviously significant, but what’s really significant is the computer records and all the materials that he would have with him as the head of this financing arm, if indeed that is the case that he is really that important.” Sources say that Abu Sayyaf who was seen as very valuable, may have been in contact with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
