Islamic State Leader Maher al-Agal Has Been Killed In A US Drone Strike In Syria
The Pentagon has said that the United States has killed a top leader of Islamic State following a successful drone strike in Syria on Tuesday.
The US Central Command said that Maher al-Agal was killed in a drone strike that took "extensive planning to ensure its successful execution." They added that Maher al-Agal was responsible for developing Islamic State networks outside of Syria and Iraq.
According to US Central Command, Maher al-Agal, who is believed to be one of the top five leaders of the Islamic State, was killed on Tuesday outside the town of Jindaris, in northwest Syria.
Another unidentified man who was said to be a close associate of al-Agal and another senior figure for Islamic State was also reportedly seriously injured in the attack.
Although this has not been confirmed yet, the US defence department said in a statement that the strike caused no civilian casualties.
War Monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that al-Agal was a prominent Islamic State commander when the group controlled the Syrian city of Raqqa.
al-Agal moved north to Afrin in 2020 and was most recently a commander in a Turkish-backed faction called Jaysh Al-Sharqiyyah. US Central Command state that violent extremist organisations "continue to present a threat to America and our allies."
Adding: "Al Qaeda-affiliated groups have used the rebel-held enclave in northwestern Syria as a safe haven."
The killing of al-Agal comes just several months after another Islamic State leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up along with members of his family during a raid by US forces.
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