IS official captured in raid in Syria

BAGHDAD – U.s.-led coalition forces captured a senior leader of the extremist Islamic State group in a military operation in northern Syria on Thursday, the coalition said.

In a statement, it said the captured leader was an experienced bomb maker and operational facilitator, describing him as one of the top leaders of the militant group’s branch in Syria.

The statement did not identify the individual nor say where exactly in northern Syria the raid took place. It said the operation was “successful” with no civilians harmed and no injuries to the coalition forces. The coalition did not respond to queries from The Associated Press.

Three Iraqi intelligence officials, however, identified the man as Ahmad Hani al-kurdi, a Syrian national who rose through militant ranks to become one of the most senior and dangerous IS leaders and an expert on manufacturing booby traps and explosives.

For a while, he was the IS leader in charge of the Syrian city of Raqqa, when it was the de facto capital of the group’s so-called Islamic “caliphate” that stretched across much of Iraq and Syria. The Iraqi intel officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give out the information.

The U.s.-backed forces declared victory over the Islamic State group in March 2019 after retaking the last piece of territory held by IS in Syria. But the militants continue to operate and carry out deadly attacks in both Iraq and Syria through sleeper cells; the group also maintains several affiliates in various countries.