Pentagon announces death of 7 ISIS leaders in airstrikes

Coalition airstrikes killed seven senior Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) propagandists and facilitators in Iraq and Syria, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials have announced.

“The removal of these key ISIS leaders disrupts ISIS’s propaganda production, distribution, and the ability to fund ISIS’ terrorist activities,” the U.S. Department of State said.

It said Abu Sulayman al-Iraqi, a senior ISIS propaganda official, was killed by a coalition airstrike near Mosul, Iraq, in early July.

“Al-Iraqi provided strategic guidance and production oversight for ISIS propaganda that recruited, indoctrinated and directed terrorists around the world,” the statement said.

It said Bassam al-Jayfus, who handled ISIS funds for terror attacks, was killed by a coalition airstrike in Mayadin, Syria, July 18, 2017.

“His death causes a disruption to ISIS’s multinational money laundering network, which is used to pay for foreign terrorist fighters as well as terror plotting and attacks throughout the world.”

Rayaan Meshaal, a senior ISIS media official, was killed between May 25 to 27 by a coalition airstrike conducted near Mayadin, Syria, the department said

It said Meshaal was the head and founder of Amaq, ISIS’s official propaganda media outlet.

“Meshaal oversaw, authorized and disseminated ISIS digital propaganda to instigate and direct terror and recruit foreign terrorist fighters.”

Similarly, it said Abu-Khattab al-Rawi, an ISIS media emir, was killed by a coalition airstrike in Ba’aj, Iraq, May 17, 2017.

“His death was announced by U.S. Central Command on May 26, 2017,” the statement read.

It added that Abu-Sayf al-‘Isawi, an ISIS media emir, was killed by a coalition airstrike in al-Qa’im, Iraq, April 27, 2017.

The department said Abu Ali al-Janubi, ISIS’s senior media director, was killed by a coalition airstrike in Mayadin, Syria, April 16, 2017.

“Ibrahim al-Ansari, an ISIS propaganda official, was killed by a coalition airstrike in Qaim, Iraq, March 25, 2017.

His death was announced by Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve on March 31, 2017.

“The deaths of these terrorists eliminates senior leaders and facilitators with extensive experience and training, task force officials said, and degrades the ability of ISIS to plan and conduct attacks on civilian targets in Iraq and Syria, as well throughout the region and in the West.

“The coalition will continue to exert pressure on ISIS senior leaders and associates across multiple networks in order to degrade, disrupt, and dismantle ISIS structures and remove the extremist terrorists throughout Iraq and Syria,” the department said.