SAS to target terror Mr Big
Islamic State boss is top target
THE SAS have been ordered to wipe out the leader of Islamic State.
The regiment’s counter-terror unit has been given clearance to hunt down Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a “kill not capture mission”.
Elite snipers equipped with the world’s most powerful rifles will lead the assassination operation.
Covert SAS squads will watch his suspected hideouts in Iraq and Syria, while spy planes capable of monitoring emails and mobile phone calls will provide electronic surveillance.
The SAS will also use intelligence supplied by MI6 and CIA “assets”, who became informants after witnessing atrocities carried out by al-Baghdadi and his henchmen.
British and US defence chiefs believe the Islamic State will collapse without the world’s most wanted terrorist at the helm.
All the resources of MI6 and GCHQ are now being used to find him.
It is understood the SAS will work closely with Delta Force, their US counterparts, along with the CIA and the US National Security Agency.
One defence source said: “The head of IS is now a priority target. That means the SAS will be using all of their experience and skill to track him down.
“He is a dead man walking, it’s just a matter of time.
“He’s going to be killed by ground troops or taken out in an air strike or drone strike.”
In 2006, the SAS and Delta Force worked together in Iraq to track down and kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The SAS identified a house where the mass murderer was attending a meeting. He died when a US jet dropped two 500lb bombs on the building.
Our source continued: “Al-Qaida in Iraq was the most dangerous terrorist group in the world. But the group was seriously weakened after Zarqawi was killed and many of its leaders gave up the fight.
“Hopefully the same will happen to IS when Baghdadi is killed.”
The SAS have been fighting terrorists in Iraq and Syria for more than three years. Al-Baghdadi is already a top target for the US.
Until recently he had not been seen for months, leading to speculation that he had been killed.
On December 16 the US government appeared to acknowledge he was still alive when it raised the price on his head to $25million. “The threat that alBaghdadi poses has increased significantly,” the state department said.
He was seen alive last month, a day after Iraqi forces captured his No.2 in Mosul, north
ern Iraq.