Iraq’s counterterrorism service announced on Friday that a senior Islamic State (ISIS) commander was killed during a joint security operation in Syria coordinated with the U.S.-led international coalition.
The militant, identified as Omar Abdul Qader Bassam, also known as “Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi”, was ISIS’s head of external operations and security, according to Iraqi authorities, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The service said he was responsible for orchestrating attacks across multiple countries, including the bombing of Iran’s embassy in Lebanon, and for planning further operations in Europe and the United States that were thwarted through intelligence efforts.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has intensified airstrikes in Syria against remaining ISIS figures. American officials have repeatedly cautioned that the group is attempting to regroup and stage a comeback following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s government last December.
