US-Led Coalition Airstrikes Kill 3 Senior Foreign Daesh Leaders

The US-led coalition said in a statement on Friday that airstrikes between April 27 and May 18 had killed three senior foreign Daesh leaders responsible for the terrorist group’s financing, training and drone operations.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The coalition identified the men as Turkish national Mustafa Gunes; Abu Asim al-Jazaeri, a French-Algerian fighter; and Abu-Khattab al-Rawi, whose country of origin was not identified.

"Coalition airstrikes have removed senior ISIS [Daesh] military officials and planners from the battlefield," the statement said.

According to the coalition, the elimination of the three senior Daesh fighters shows that Daesh's capabilities have worsened.

"The elimination of three senior foreign fighters represents a significant degradation of the ISIS planning and operational capability."

 

Gunes, a recruiter for Daesh in the Turkish city of Konya, was killed on April 27 near Mayadin in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province. He was linked to Daesh’s attacks in the West as well as financial support for the group, according to the coalition.

Al-Jazaeri, killed on May 11 near Mayadin, was involved in training child soldiers — called the Cubs of the Caliphate — for Daesh. He also planned external operations for the terror group.

An airstrike on May 18 near Al-Qaim in Iraq killed al-Rawi and three other terrorists, the coalition said. Al-Rawi operated in Iraq’s Anbar province and directly supported Daesh leadership and coordinated the group’s drone operations and procurement.

Daesh had announced al-Rawi’s death on May 20.