When U.S. troops raided the hideout of IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, who took over as head of the terror group in 2019, the IS leader detonated a bomb and detonated himself. His body was thrown into the street outside. First responders reported that 13 people were killed, including six children and four women.

Preparations for the operation, described as “extremely complex”, began in early December. The killing of Kurahi could have been carried out last year, but Biden took the riskier route to minimize collateral damage, according to U.S. officials.

The helicopter operation has been rehearsed repeatedly, and the possibility of his suicide has been taken into account. Earlier this week, Biden was briefed on the final blueprint for the operation and approved it.

The explosion caused by the IS leader occurred on the third floor. The U.S. military said they evacuated six civilians, including four children, from the first floor.

Quraishi is known as “The Destroyer” for his brutal actions. Born into a Turkmen family, he is one of the few non-Arab leaders of the Islamic State. He served in Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi army.

Although the US military aimed at the building and the floor where he lived, he never came out of the third floor of the building, and the communication with the outside world was through messengers.

As the operation began, Biden said, “God bless our troops” and kept a close eye on real-time monitoring of the troops. A White House official said the operation began as Biden was finishing a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on a different topic. At one point, the Pentagon said one of the helicopters involved in the raid had a mechanical problem and had to be destroyed rather than left behind.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times