A US Military raid in Somalia killed a key regional leader of the Islamic State group, Bilal al-Sudani. The US Military raid was ordered by President Joe Biden. Bilal al Sudani was killed during a gunfight after US troops descended on a mountainous cave complex in northern Somalia hoping to capture him. Around 10 of Sudani’s Islamic State associates at the scene were killed, but there were no American casualties.
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Senior ISIS Leader Bilal al-Sudani killed in US Raid in Somalia- Key Points
- On 25th January 2023, the US military conducted an assault operation in northern Somalia ordered by the president that resulted in the death of several ISIS members, including Bilal al-Sudani.
- Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group’s operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan.
- From his mountain base in northern Somalia, Bilal al-Sudani provided and coordinated funding for IS branches, not only in Africa but also Islamic State Khorasan, the arm operating in Afghanistan.
- Ten years ago, before he joined the Islamic State, Bilal al-Sudani was involved in recruiting and training fighters for the extremist al-Shabaab movement in Somalia.
- Sudani had a key operational and financial role with specialized skills which made him an important target for US counterterrorism action.
- The operation had been prepared over months, with US forces rehearsing at a site built to replicate the terrain where Sudani was hiding.
- Biden authorized the strike earlier after consulting with top defense, intelligence, and security officials.
- An intended capture operation was ultimately determined to be the best option to maximize the intelligence value of the operation and increase its precision in challenging terrain.
- According to the officials, the only injury to an American in the raid was that one serviceperson was bitten by a US military service dog.
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