The leader of ISIS died when he blew himself and family members up during a US military raid in Syria, President Joe Biden said on Thursday, dealing a blow to the extremist group's efforts to reorganize as a guerrilla force after losing large swathes of territory.
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, had led ISIS since the death in 2019 of its founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was also killed when he detonated explosives during a raid by US commandos.
Eyewitnesses living in the northern Syria town of Atmeh near the border with Turkey spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat about a “mysterious” man who lived in the targeted area. He was believed to either be Iraqi or Turkman, and was dwelling in an ordinary home.
“At about 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, seven helicopters flew over the town of Atmeh, near the Syrian-Turkish border, at very low altitudes, and surrounded a two-storey house and a basement in the vicinity of the town,” eyewitnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The forces in the helicopters identified themselves as International Coalition forces and said that wanted individuals had to surrender,” they added, noting that the forces ordered women and children to evacuate their homes in the targeted area.
The warning was followed by heavy gunfire and missile firing at the targeted house.
“Coalition forces carried out an airdrop, and a large number of their members deployed in the area amid violent clashes with the residents of the house,” witnesses added.
According to bystanders, the clashes lasted for more than three hours, during which parts of the house and its foundation were destroyed.
At least 13 people were killed, including four women and six children. A girl who was at the scene of the clashes was also seriously injured.
Observers in the town explained that “the residents of the house that was targeted by the US-led International Coalition are unknown and no one knows anything about them or their nationality, and no one was able to confirm that anyone was arrested because of the fierceness of the clashes and the siege laid by Coalition forces.”
As US forces closed in on Quraishi in northwestern Syria overnight, he triggered a blast that also killed members of his own family, including children, according to Biden and US officials.
The blast was so big it hurled bodies out of the building where Quraishi was and into surrounding streets in the town of Atmeh, US officials said, blaming ISIS for all civilian casualties.
"Thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible terrorist leader is no more," Biden said in remarks at the White House.
