The United States armed forces have killed a senior leader of the ISIL group in Syria. Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali was the primary target of a helicopter operation that was carried out early on Monday morning. The senior member was described as being an operational planner responsible for attacks in the Middle East and Europe. 

Intelligence had indicated ISIL was planning to kidnap officials abroad, according to US Central Command. This intelligence led to the raid. Two other members of ISIL were killed in the operation. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the operation was focused on a building in al-Suwayda, a village approximately 15 miles from Syria’s northern border with Turkey. This raid occurred two weeks after a US attack in Syria killed another senior ISIL leader, Khalid Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri. The raid is reported to be a blow to regional ISIS operations, but will not eliminate the group’s ability to conduct all operations.

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