President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that US Special Forces killed the leader of the Islamic State during a raid in northwest Syria.
Rescue workers have said that women and children are among the 13 people who died in the raid.
Mr Biden said in a statement that the leader of the terrorist group was killed. He has been identified by ISIS as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
The leader reportedly died at the start of the raid when he discharged an explosive that killed him as well as members of his family.
“Thanks to the skill and bravery of our armed forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi – the leader of ISIS,” Mr Biden said in his statement. “All Americans have returned safely from the operation.”
Two dozen American special forces conducted the raid with the support of helicopter gunships, armed drones, and fighter jets, according to The New York Times.
Al-Qurayshi succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as ISIS leader after al-Baghdadi was killed during a US raid in October 2019.
