Terrorist militia in Syria: US military kills senior IS member

The US military says it has killed a senior IS member in Syria. Among other things, the man was responsible for planning attacks in Europe. According to the UN, the danger from the terrorist militia in conflict areas is increasing again.

A senior member of the Islamic State extremist group has been killed in a US military drone strike in northwestern Syria. This was announced by the US military command Centcom.

It is about Chalid Ajdd Ahmed al-Jaburi, who was responsible for planning IS attacks in Europe and expanding the leadership team. According to US information, there were no civilian casualties in the operation. His death will “temporarily affect the organization’s ability to plan attacks abroad.” However, the group remains able to launch attacks in the region. Their goal is also attacks beyond the Middle East.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the man is Iraqi and has been in Idlib province for ten days. According to the Observatory, the US drone was aimed at him near his home while he was on the phone.

USA keeps killing IS members

In recent years there has been a series of attacks aimed at extremists associated with al-Qaeda or high-ranking IS members in the north-west of the civil war-torn country. Many of those who died in US attacks in rebel-held Idlib province were believed to be followers of al-Qaeda offshoot Horas al-Din, meaning “guardian of the religion.” The group includes particularly radical al-Qaeda supporters who have broken away from Hajat Tahrir al-Sham – the strongest insurgent group in Idlib.

In February, a drone strike reported the deaths of two men whom local activists initially described as members of Horas al-Din. The Observatory later reported that one of those killed was a senior supporter of the IS terrorist militia, which was pushed back in Syria in March 2019.

UN report sees increasing danger from IS again

According to the US, IS continues to pose a threat to the region and beyond. Although the group is weakened, it is still capable of attacking in the region.

At the height of its power in 2014, IS controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria. Despite the military victory over IS announced in 2019, its cells are still active in the country and carry out attacks. In 2022, IS claimed responsibility for around 280 attacks in Syria.

According to a February UN report, IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 members and supporters spread across Syria and Iraq. According to the UN report, the threat has increased in conflict areas where IS is active.