US assault operation in Somalia killed top ISIS leader

Africa, News, US January 29, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

United States military conducted an assault operation in northern Somalia and killed several Islamic State members, including ISIS leader in Somalia Bilal-al-Sudani.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said in a statement that the U.S. military conducted the operation on January 25 on orders from U.S. President Biden and killed “a key facilitator for ISIS’s global network”. No civilians were harmed as a result of the U.S. operation in the East African country.

According to a U.S. defense official, the raid was conducted by the U.S. special operations forces and the U.S. had prepared for the possibility of capturing al-Sudani, however, the response of the hostile force to the operation “resulted in his death”.

Austin highlighted that “Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group’s operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan.”

Secretary Austin said the operation “leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism at home and abroad,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense statement.

Austin added that “We are grateful to our extraordinary service members as well as our intelligence community and other interagency partners for their support to this successful counterterrorism operation.”

A U.S. official who briefed on military operation said, al-Sudani has “a long history as a terrorist in Somalia.” The official added that “Before he joined ISIS, he was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2012 for his role in Shabaab [group], helping foreign fighters to travel to an Al Shabaab training camp, facilitating financing for foreign violent extremists in Somalia.”

The U.S. first received intelligence on Bilal-al-Sudani’s whereabouts months ago. A U.S. official said, “This operation was the result of extraordinary coordination and careful planning across all elements of the U.S. government for many months.”

*^{U.S. forces host a land navigation course with the Danab Brigade in Somalia, on May 18, 2021. (Image Credit: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Zoe Russell)}*

The U.S. military personnel have been operating in Somalia to provide advise-and-assist support to the country’s forces. The U.S. forces served in Somalia under the Africa Command and have been helping Somali forces in the fight against the al-Shabab terrorist group.