US special operations forces have killed a senior Islamic State group official and 10 other terrorists in northern Somalia, government sources told the Associated Press (AP) on Thursday.
The operation targeted Bilal al-Sudani, a key financial facilitator for the worldwide terrorist organization, and took place in a mountain cave complex.
US President Joe Biden was briefed last week on the mission proposal, which came after months of planning.
Biden gave his final approval for the operation this week, according to two administration officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
Al-Sudani, who has been on the radar of US intelligence authorities for years, has played a key role in helping finance Islamic State operations in Africa, as well as the ISIS-K terrorist arm that operates in Afghanistan, added the same sources.
This terrorist had originally been singled out by the Treasury Department in 2012 for his role in Al-Shabab, another terrorist organization operating in Somalia.
“Given the remote location of the operation, the assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed. The protection of civilians continues to be a vital part of the command’s operations to promote greater security for all Africans,” said the US Military Command for Africa (AFRICOM), in a statement.
An American involved in the operation was bitten by a military dog but was not seriously injured, according to a government source.
US officials provided few details about how the operation was carried out or the circumstances surrounding al-Sudani’s death.
One official noted that US forces intended to capture Al-Sudani, but that option was not “viable” when the operation took place.
The operation comes days after AFRICOM announced that it had staged a collective strike in self-defense northeast of the capital Mogadishu, near Galcad.
In this action, Somali National Army forces became involved in heavy fighting, following a prolonged and intense attack by more than 100 Al-Shabab fighters.
The United States estimated that approximately 30 Al-Shabab fighters were killed in that operation.
The offensive by Somali forces against al-Shabab has been described as the most significant in more than a decade.
Source: TSF
