Russian Federation on Wednesday claimed that it was responsible for successfully targeting the Islamic State group’s chief spokesman in a Tuesday airstrike, trumping the U.S.in taking credit for a high-profile kill during the war against the extremist network.
Advertisement
Al-Adnani was killed as Turkish and Kurdish forces attacked ISIS-controlled areas of Aleppo, al-Masdar News reported. The Pentagon confirmed that coalition aircraft had targeted the IS leader, but not that he had been killed.
On Tuesday a USA defense official told Reuters that the United States targeted Adnani’s vehicle near the Syrian town of al-Bab near Aleppo, but did not confirm that Adnani was killed in the hit.
A government official in Washington told VOA that the US been tracking several “high value” IS members in Aleppo province.
A US official says Adnani was killed by a US Predator drone (left), while Russian Federation claims a bombing run by its SU-34 fighter (right) hit the terrorist.
The Pentagon is very cautious about confirming the identity of those targeted in strikes, as on previous occasions it has announced deaths only to later learn the individual was still alive. “We are assessing the results of that strike”.
Over 1,800 people were killed and 4,000 wounded in attacks overseen by al-Adnani, said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was no authorized to speak to reporters.
Washington said Tuesday the two sides – both U.S. allies – had agreed to a cessation of hostilities between their forces in Syria after deadly clashes at the weekend. He was also the right hand of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
IS news agency Amaq said Adnani “was martyred while surveying operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo” and pledged to avenge his death.
Mr Lister said ISIL’s announcement of Al Adnani’s death had described him as Qurayshi – referring to Prophet Mohammed’s tribe – in an indication of his importance.
It was Al Adnani who, in a June 2014 audio recording, declared ISIL’s establishment of a “caliphate” straddling Syria and Iraq, and Al Baghdadi as the “leader of Muslims everywhere”. Al-Adnani’s death wasn’t immediately confirmed by the USA, which often takes days or weeks to gather and evaluate evidence before making such a judgment.
“Al-Adnani has served as principal architect of ISIL’s external operations and as ISIL’s chief spokesman”.
He said it was clear that United States intelligence had infiltrated top levels of IS and was increasingly aware of the movements of senior figures.
Adnani was well-known for ordering operatives to attack countries participating in the coalition against ISIS. Western intelligence believes he had command responsibility for the November 2015 Paris attacks.
The US Justice Department had offered a bounty of up to $7 million for information leading to Qaduli, identified as the group’s finance minister and a key figure behind some foreign plots.
Gulmorod Khalimov, 41, is a former colonel in Tajikistan’s interior ministry police special operations unit and a trained sniper. A French terrorist named Faiz Bouchrane, arrested in 2014 while planning to attack Shiites in Lebanon, said he was acting on Adnani’s orders.
His death is considered a major blow to the jihadist group, which has suffered a series of military reverses in both Syria and Iraq.
Advertisement
Born in Syria in 1977, Adnani was the most senior Syrian in ISIS, a trait that some analysts say may have counted against him in a leadership bid among the Iraqi-led terror group.
