U.S. troops launched a counterterrorism operation on Thursday that resulted in the capture of an experienced Islamic State bomb maker who also was identified as a top leader of the ISIS branch in Syria.
The mission was under the control of Operation Inherent Resolve – the US-led coalition against the Islamic State, also known as Daesh. They said the raid was “meticulously planned” in order to minimize the risk of civilian harm.
“The operation was successful. No civilians were harmed nor were there injuries to coalition forces or damage to coalition aircraft or assets,” officials with Inherent Resolve said in a statement.
The Wall Street Journal identified the captured ISIS leader as Hani Ahmed al-Kurdi, also reportedly known as the “Wali (governor) of Raqqa.”