A top leader of the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria, Maher al-Agal, was killed in a U.S. airstrike early Tuesday, the United States military will announce, NBC News has learned.
Maher al-Agal was one of the top four ISIS leaders overall, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM.
A deputy of Al-Agal was also targeted but it was not clear whether he was killed or injured, according to a CENTCOM statement.
“The removal of these ISIS leaders will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out attacks,” according to Col. Joe Buccino, spokesman for CENTCOM.
It would be the latest in a string of recent strikes against the terror group in Syria. An unnamed senior ISIS leader and bomb maker was captured in a raid last month, according to the U.S. military.
An overnight raid by U.S. special forces in northwestern Syria in February led to the death of ISIS’ top leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the military said.
The news comes ahead of President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East. He is due to touch down in Israel on Wednesday for a series of meetings there and in the West Bank before heading to Saudi Arabia.
This is a developing story — check back here for details soon.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
