US commandos kill IS banker in Somalia

A SENIOR Islamic State (IS) financier linked to the Kabul airport blast last August has been killed in Somalia after US commandos rehearsed capturing him in a mock “cave complex”.

A further 10 terrorist fighters died at the hands of US special forces during the raid in a remote area in northern Somalia, the Biden administration has announced.

IS banker Bilal al-sudani was killed during the raid, which took place on Wednesday and targeted a cave complex in the Cal Miskaad mountains in the Bari region of Somalia’s Puntland.

Sudani was thought to have played a key role in financing terrorist activities from Africa to Afghanistan and had been on the radar of US counterterrorism forces for years. According to the New York Times, he helped to finance the IS branch responsible for the bombing of Kabul airport that killed 95 people during the evacuation of Afghanistan in August 2021.

“Al-sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of IS in Africa and for funding the group’s operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan,” defence secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

US special forces had hoped to capture Sudani alive but a US official said that proved not to be “feasible” as the mission unfolded, a US official said. Joe Biden approved the operation earlier this week following “extraordinary coordination and careful planning across all elements of the US government for many months,” the official said.

One American involved in the operation was bitten by a dog, but was not seriously injured, according to an administration official.

The US military reportedly made a mock-up of the mountainous Somalian cave complex to rehearse the mission.

US officials said no civilians were injured during the operation but released few other details. Additional information would be provided “in the coming days”, US Africa Command said.