World

Senior ISIS leader Bilal-al-Sudani killed in US military operation in Somalia

A US counter-terrorism operation in northern Somalia killed a senior Islamic State (ISIS) figure Bilal-al-Sudani, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed in a statement on Thursday.

No civilians were harmed as a result of this operation that killed a number of other ISIS members in the assault operation that the US conducted on orders from President Joe Biden. “On January 25, on orders from the President, the U.S. military conducted an assault operation in northern Somalia that resulted in the death of a number of ISIS members, including Bilal-al-Sudani, an ISIS leader in Somalia and a key facilitator for ISIS’s global network. Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group’s operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan,” the official release of the US Department of Defense quoted Austin as saying.

“This action leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism at home and abroad. No civilians were harmed as a result of this operation. We are grateful to our extraordinary service members as well as our intelligence community and other interagency partners for their support to this successful counterterrorism operation,” Austin added.

Prior to last year’s end, US forces conducted an airstrike in Syria that resulted in the deaths of two senior ISIS figures, CNN reported.

Notably, in Somalia till date, the military operations have only paid heed to al-Shabaab fighters which are the dominant militant group in the region.

According to the first official, al-Sudani received sanctions from the US Treasury in 2012 for facilitating foreign fighters’ travel to an al-Shabaab training camp and providing funding.

ANI

Ani service

Recent Posts

PM Modi-Carney G7 meeting opportunity to explore pathways to reset India-Canada ties: MEA

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi…

11 hours ago

India reaches out to China seeking predictable rare earth supply

India on Thursday said it is in touch with the Chinese side, seeking predictability in…

11 hours ago

UK working with local authorities in India to establish facts and provide support: UK Foreign Secy David Lammy on plane crash

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has expressed sadness over the plane crash in Ahmedabad and…

12 hours ago

LTWA marks 55 years of Tibetan heritage preservation amid continued threats from China

On the auspicious day of June 11, 2025, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives…

13 hours ago

EAM Jaishankar meets French President Macron, highlights strategic ties and cooperation

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met French President Emmanuel Macron and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra…

13 hours ago

Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch exposes Pakistani state repression from prison cell

Mahrang Baloch, a well-known Baloch rights activist, accused the Pakistani government of targeting peaceful dissenters…

14 hours ago