GinnyFarris
SyriaAl-Muhajir, IS spokesman and al-Baghdadi's right-hand man, were killed in a raid by Kurdish militias and the US army on October 27.
An unnamed official from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed the death of Abu Hassan al-Muhajir in the village of Ain al-Baydah, near the city of Jarablus. Earlier, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said the force coordinated with the US military to destroy Muhajir.
Who is said to be Abu Hassan al-Muhajir (left), a spokesman for IS and the right arm of the leader of Baghdadi, along with another IS element Photo: TImes of Israel
Muhajir was killed a day after the Supreme Leader of Islamic State (IS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi detonated a suicide bomb belt when attacked by US Delta special forces. The raid took place at a residence in Barisha village, Idlib province, Syria, where Baghdadi was hiding with his family.
AFP correspondent at Ain al-Baydah said the two airstrikes were a pickup and a truck carrying a small metal container. Two bodies were located outside the first vehicle, in a metal box there was another.
SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said Muhajir was hiding in Jarablus in an attempt to infiltrate the al-Baghdadi leader into the "Euphrates Shield", the northern Syrian region currently controlled by Turkey. "Two US-led operations have destroyed the IS senior leaders hiding in northwest Syria. Many elements of this organization are still hiding in the same area," Bali wrote on Twitter.
Muhajir became an IS spokesman after his predecessor, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, was killed in an air raid conducted by the US in Aleppo, Syria. Muhajir's true identity remains a mystery, but this element may be a foreigner due to his nickname meaning "migrant". The last time Muhajir sent the message was in March, less than a week after US President Donald Trump declared ISIS completely defeated.
Location of Ain al-Baydah village, where Muhajir was destroyed on October 27 (red marker) Photo: Google
The campaign to kill ISIS Baghdadi leader Trump was approved nearly a week ago, after US special forces received intelligence that the campaign could be deployed. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assisted in locating the leader of the IS, the area where Baghdadi was destroyed was monitored for a while.
A US military official said US special forces flattened where Baghdadi and his family took refuge to prevent the site from becoming a temple for the IS leader. The Pentagon informed the White House they had high confidence that Baghdadi had been destroyed but needed further verification with DNA and biometrics.
The location of Ain al-Baydah village, where Muhajir was destroyed on October 27 (marked in red). Graphics: Google.
