A masked Islamic State fighter holding the ISIS banner somewhere in the deserts of Iraq or Syria. Photo: Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A senior leader of the Islamic State militant group has been captured in Syria during a U.S.-led coalition raid, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Driving the news: "The detained individual was assessed to be an experienced bomb maker and facilitator who became one of the group's top leaders in Syria," per a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, which noted no civilian or military member was harmed during the operation.
- "The mission was meticulously planned to minimize the risk of collateral damage, particularly any potential harm to civilians," the statement added.
- The statement did not name the ISIS leader who was detained on Thursday local time.
The big picture: Other U.S.-led military ground operations in northwestern Syria that have targeted ISIS leaders include a 2019 raid that resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and an operation last February in which Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed.