The Pentagon confirmed today that Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, the number 2 ranking ISIS commander in Syria, was killed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes that took place earlier this month. He was a HUGE target for the United States and coalition forces in the war against ISIS and the importance of this blow to Daesh cannot be overstates.
Just to put this into a little perspective, before his death Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli was the 5th most wanted jihadi in the world, with a bounty on his head to the tune of SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS:
Coalition forces in Syria killed a top Islamic State commander earlier this month, a senior defense official confirmed Friday, the latest blow to the terror group’s command structure in its Syrian stronghold.
Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, a senior religious leader for the terrorist group, was killed in Syria, said the official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the attack. Al-Qaduli went by the alias Haji Imam. The U.S. had a $7 million bounty on his head.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to announce the news this morning during a Pentagon press conference.
His demise comes on the heels of the death of Islamic State senior operative Omar al-Shishani, who was targeted in an airstrike earlier this month.
I know how you’re feeling right now and I have to say that I’m right there with you bros:
http://imgur.com/cZyM2hL
Methinks that after a few more strategic airstrikes like this one ISIS might figure out that they have absolutely no shot in hell at maintaining their land in Syria.
I’m not sure they’ll ever lay down their guns and entirely give up, but if we whittle them down to just a handful of batshit crazy jihadis at least then it’ll make the bombing target areas a whole lot easier, am I right?
[h/t USA Today]