Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was the Islamic State’s main spokesman and a leading strategist involved in the planning of attacks around the world. It follows claims by Moscow on Wednesday (31 August) that a Russian Su-34 bomber killed up to 40 militants, including al-Adnani, during a raid on the village of Umm Hawsh, 15 miles north of Aleppo. Russian State run media released a statement hours after ISIS’s announcement, saying, “According to reports confirmed by several intelligence channels, field commander Abu Mukhammad al-Adnani [sic], better known as “the official spokesperson” of the global terrorist group Islamic State, was among the liquidated terrorists”, in a Russian air raid that day.
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Cook added: “Al-Adnani has served as principal architect of Isis’ external operations and as Isis’ chief spokesman”.
The Defense Department drone strike was conducted with help from American special operations forces working with the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States official said. “From the start, Russian Federation has spent most of its time in its military campaign propping up the [Bashar] Assad regime”.
“I’m not going to wager a guess as to why they might have a motive to engage in this and to discuss this, and maybe it’s just a misunderstanding on their part”.
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook later said there was nothing to indicate Russian Federation had killed Adnani.
“I know what ISIL itself has said”. Wednesday, Cook reiterated that claim and said the terror spokesman was targeted as he rode in a convoy.
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“They’re unwilling to coordinate or cooperate with us”, Townsend said. We conducted a strike that targeted al-Adnani. Another US defence official told Reuters – on condition of anonymity – that “Russia’s claim is a joke”. Although the United States considered him a priority and offered 5 million Dollars for his capture, the version of his possible elimination in the town of El Bab by the global coalition led by Washington was not confirmed.
