ATME: Syrian state media confirmed that US-led coalition forces killed a senior Islamic State group leader during an operation in northwest Syria on Wednesday.
State television reported that coalition forces conducted an air drop targeting a house in the town of Atme within Idlib province.
The operation specifically targeted Iraqi national Salah Numan, known as Ali, who was described as “a leader in the Daesh (IS) organisation”.
The security source identified him as “one of the most dangerous men wanted for his involvement in activating and mobilising IS cells in Syria”.
The coalition has not released any statements about an operation in northwest Syria.
Three witnesses, including the building owner where Numan resided, confirmed the raid occurred after midnight with reports of aircraft noise and gunfire.
State television detailed that coalition forces raided the house where Numan lived with his family and mother, shooting him dead after he jumped from their first-floor balcony.
An anonymous Iraqi security source revealed that Numan was the brother of a top IS leader killed in a 2020 coalition strike in Deir Ezzor province.
Iraqi intelligence led to Wednesday’s operation according to the security source, who added that Numan’s wives were arrested during the raid.
Building owner Mohammed al-Sheikh reported hearing noise around 2:30 am and encountering coalition forces who ordered his surrender.
He stated that “the translator’s accent was Iraqi” during the encounter with the operation forces.
Sheikh explained that forces blindfolded his family, led them away, and collected their details including fingerprints during the operation.
Sheikh clarified that he rented the house to Numan “via a real estate agency and had no connection to him” regarding the tenant’s activities.
Neighbour Abdel-Qader al-Sheikh confirmed Numan had lived in the area for two years, stating “We didn’t have anything to do with him” about their relationship with the IS leader.
The US-led coalition has frequently conducted strikes in Idlib targeting IS officials, including a previously announced raid in June.
Several former IS leaders have been eliminated in the province through coalition operations over recent years.
Islamic State originally seized significant Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014 during Syria’s ongoing civil war before suffering territorial defeat five years later.
The group’s fighters maintain an active presence in the region, particularly within Syria’s vast desert areas where they continue operations. – AFP