New Delhi: US special forces conducted a raid in northwestern Syria and killed the top leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, President Joe Biden said in his official Tweet.
"Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation," Biden said in a statement.
"Thanks to the bravery of our Armed Forces, we have removed from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS."
"All Americans have returned safely from the operation," he said.
Around midnight on Thursday, several US helicopters reportedly landed in the area, which is in northern Idlib province and is close to the border with Turkey.
At least 13 people were killed in this dramatic raid including six children and four women, according to residents.
“We were woken up at 1 a.m. by the sound of warplanes and helicopters,” said Adnan Abo Mohammad, who lives not far from the site of the attack. “They were flying very low to the ground. Clashes went on till about 3 a.m.”
The raid which was conducted by US Central Command, which controls military operations and activities in the Middle East, said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
The raid led by the US is believed to have been the largest US special forces operation in northwest Syria since Qurayshi's predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, died in a raid on a hideout just 16km (10 miles) away from Atmeh in October 2019.
Meanwhile, the US president is expected to address the nation about the mission at 9:30 a.m. in Washington from the White House.