Several U.S. officials told CNN the military and intelligence community is looking into whether or not a targeted U.S. airstrike killed a top ISIS leader, Omar “the Chechen”. If it’s true, which it probably is, it would be a big win for the U.S and big L for ISIS. Hit the jump.
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The U.S airstrike took place on Friday near the Syrian town of al-Shaddadi. A Defense Department official revealed that Shishani was “likely killed.” Abu Omar al-Shishani, the ISIS leader targeted in the strike, has a reputation as one of ISIS’ most capable commanders with a $5 Million price on his head, issued by the U.S State Department. Shishani is a former member of an elite Georgian (the country not the U.S state) military unit.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook, using a different name for ISIS, said in a statement:
“Batirashvili is a battle-tested leader with experience who had led ISIL fighters in numerous engagements in Iraq and Syria.”
“His potential removal from the battlefield would negatively impact ISIL’s ability to recruit foreign fighters, especially those from Chechnya and the Caucus regions – and degrade ISIL’s ability to coordinate attacks and defense of its strongholds like Raqqah, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq.”
Along with Shishani, 12 additional ISIS fighters were likely killed, according to the defense official.
Shishani joined ISIS in 2013 and later was in charge of a prison near Raqqa – where ISIS might have held foreign hostages.
Shishani also instructed the terror organization to transport vehicles and weapons to Syria from Iraq in June 2014. He was eventually named ISIS’ northern commander by leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to oversee military operations in northern Syria.
