The leader of the Islamic State (IS) has died following a US raid in northern Syria that also killed a senior deputy of the terror group, said US officials.
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi set off a blast killing himself and his family as special rounded on his hideout after a gunfight.
US President Joe Biden disclosed the overnight raid on Thursday.
Qurayshi’s death “removed a major terrorist threat to the world”, said Biden.
US officials did not name the IS deputy also killed, but provided dramatic details of the operation that had been months in the planning.
IS has so far made no public comments on the issue.
Several US experts said Qurayshi’s death would be a blow to IS, but the group would ultimately regroup.
The raid targeted a three-storey residential building on the outskirts of the opposition-held town of Atmeh, which is in northern Idlib province and close to the border with Turkey.
The region is a stronghold of jihadist group that are fierce rivals of IS, as well as Turkish-backed rebel factions fighting the Syrian government.
