Washington [US], January 27: A US military raid into Somalia on orders from President Joe Biden has killed Bilal al-Sudani, a key regional leader of the Islamic State group.
Sudani was killed in a gunfight after US troops landed in a mountainous cave complex in northern Somalia in hopes of capturing Sudani, US officials said on Monday. About 10 of Sudani's subordinates were killed at the scene, US officials said, but there were no US-related casualties.
"On January 25, by order of the president, the US military conducted an offensive operation in northern Somalia that resulted in the deaths of several IS members, including Bilal al-Sudani," he said. "Al-Sudani is responsible for fueling IS's growing presence in Africa and for funding its activities around the world , including in Africa," said US Lloyd Austin in a statement. Afghanistan," said Minister Austin.
From his mountain base in northern Somalia, Sudani has provided and coordinated funding for IS affiliates, not only in Africa but also in Afghanistan, according to a US official.
About 10 years ago, before joining IS ,Sudani was involved in recruiting and training fighters for the extremist movement al-Shabaab in Somalia. "Sudani has an important financial and operational role with specialized skills that make him an important target in US counterterrorism action," the official added.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper
