U.S. Central Command said Thursday that a senior Islamic State operative responsible for plotting attacks against the United States and its allies was killed during a raid in Syria.
The operative, Omar Abdul Qader, also known as Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi, was identified as the group’s head of external operations and security, CENTCOM said in a statement.
U.S. officials said he posed a direct threat to the American homeland and was actively seeking to carry out attacks. His death, officials said, disrupts the extremist network’s ability to plan and execute operations targeting Americans and partners abroad.
“We will not yield in our pursuit of terrorists seeking to attack the United States, our forces, or allies and partners abroad,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said. “I commend the efforts of our skilled warfighters and all who supported them during the mission.”
The Iraqi counterterrorism service confirmed Qader’s death, describing the operation as a joint effort with the U.S.-led international coalition, reports Reuters.
The service accused him of overseeing attacks in several countries — including the 2013 bombing of Iran’s embassy in Lebanon — and of planning operations in Europe and the United States that intelligence agencies later foiled.
U.S. forces have stepped up strikes against Islamic State leaders in Syria, targeting operatives whom American officials warn are trying to regroup following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last December.
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