US coalition says ISIS commander killed in Syria
One of the top commanders of the Islamic State in Syria was killed in an airstrike by the US-led coalition; Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, a member of the Islamic State's military committee, was killed on Monday at the Tabqa Dam, a strategic target in northern Syria near the city of Raqqa, the militants' main stronghold in the country; the extremist group has not yet confirmed Kuwaiti's death.
Reuters One of the top commanders of the Islamic State in Syria was killed in an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition, a coalition spokesman said Thursday, confirming earlier reports of the death.
Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, a member of the Islamic State's military committee, was killed on Monday at the Tabqa Dam, a strategic target in northern Syria near the city of Raqqa, the militants' main stronghold in the country, according to the spokesman.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict in Syria, said on Tuesday that Kuwaiti had likely died in combat as militants attempted to halt an advance by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces toward the dam.
The Islamic State has not yet confirmed the death of the Kuwaiti man.
The Kuwaiti was involved in the recapture of the historic city of Palmyra by the Islamic State this month, and then went to Tabqa to help reinforce the jihadists' defenses against US-backed forces, according to the coalition.
"Abu Jandal was involved in the use of suicide vehicles, improvised explosive devices and chemical weapons against the Syrian Democratic Forces... his death will degrade the Islamic State's ability to defend Raqqa and launch external operations against the West," the coalition said in a statement.