(CNN) – Four ISIS leaders were killed in a raid in western Iraq late last month, the US military reported this Friday.
US Central Command identified the four leaders as Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, who was responsible for all ISIS operations in Iraq; Abu Hammam, who oversaw all operations in the western part of the country; Abu-‘Ali al-Tunisi, who oversaw technical development, and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi, who was responsible for military operations in western Iraq.
“CENTCOM remains committed to defeating ISIS, which continues to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and regional stability,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, stated in the news release.
The United States, working with Iraqi security forces, carried out a raid into western Iraq on August 29, killing more than a dozen ISIS operatives who were “armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive belts.” “suicides,” CENTCOM previously said.
Seven American soldiers were also wounded during the raid. CENTCOM then stated that there was no indication of civilian casualties.
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Iraq has postponed announcing an end date for the US-led military coalition’s presence in the country, CNN previously reported.
The United States currently has about 2,500 soldiers in Iraq, who have been operating there in an “advise and assist” capacity since December 2021, when the US military announced the end of its combat role in the country.
The region is grappling with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the July assassination of a Hamas political leader in Tehran, which has left the United States and Israel in preparation for a possible retaliatory attack by Iran.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced last month that it would send an aircraft carrier strike group, a fighter squadron and more warships to the Middle East to prepare for possible retaliation. And US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the dispatch of a guided missile submarine and hastened the arrival of the aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
CNN’s Philip Wang, Haley Britzky, Mary Kay Mallonee, Hamdi Alkhshali, Sam Fossum and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
