US military kills senior Islamic State figure in US raid in Somalia

Bilal al-Sudani, a significant regional commander for the Islamic State group, was killed in a US military raid in Somalia that was ordered by President Joe Biden, according to US authorities on Thursday (January 26).As per US sources, Sudani was killed during a gunfight when US forces entered a hilly labyrinth of caves in northern Somalia in an effort to arrest him, as reported by AFP.

There were about 10IS supporters from Sudan present at the location who were killed, but no Americans were hurtthe firing, according to the officials.

"On January 25, on orders from the president, the US military conducted an assault operation in northern Somalia that resulted in the death of a number of ISIS members, including Bilal al-Sudani," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group's operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan," Austin said.

al-Sudanihandled the financing for IS branches not only in Africa but also for Islamic State Khorasan, the branch that controls Afghanistan, a US official stated under the condition of anonymity. He did this from his mountain base in northern Somalia.

"Sudani had a key operational and financial role with specialized skills which made him an important target for US counterterrorism action," the official said.

Also watch |ChatGPT bot clears US law school exam, but struggles in most courses

The US soldiers had been practising at a location created to mimic the terrain where Sudani was hiding throughout the months-long preparation for the operation.

After speaking with senior defence, intelligence, and security officials earlier this week, Biden authorised the strike, the individual claimed, as reported by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: