afrinpost– Exclusive
The International Coalition Forces carried out a successful airdrop operation in the village of Al-Swaidiya in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, which is under the control of Turkish forces. The operation resulted in the killing of a prominent leader of the Islamic State (IS) group, and two members of the “Suqour al-Shamal\ Northern Hawks” militia who were targeting Coalition aircraft.
According to initial reports, Ibrahim Al-Ma’an, known as “Dilham,” was killed during the operation and his body was found on the outskirts of the village of Hajr Al-Aswad. Additionally, two individuals named Hajji Al-Ma’an, son of Abu Saud, and Mohammed Al-Sultan were killed during the operation. They were carrying identification cards issued by the local council of Al-Ghandoura and were affiliated with the Turkish-allied “Suqour al-Shamal” militia. Another individual named Ayed Hilal Abu Talib, a leader in the IS group, was arrested.
The US Central Command announced that it had targeted a prominent IS leader in a pre-dawn airdrop operation in northwest Syria on Monday. Colonel Joe Buccino, spokesman for the US Central Command, stated: “We believe the strike killed a prominent ISIS leader in Syria, who was responsible for planning terrorist operations in the Middle East and Europe.”
The spokesman added that two other individuals were also killed in the US operation, confirming that no US soldiers were killed and no US helicopter was downed during the operation.
Seven US military helicopters from the International Coalition Forces departed from the Kharab Ashk military base in Kobani and headed to the village of Al-Swaidiya. Fierce clashes erupted after the airdrop operation, accompanied by the sound of explosions resulting from Coalition air strikes on the building where the IS leader was holed up with two rockets.
The leader Ibrahim Al-Ma’an, known as “Dilham,” had been held in the prisons of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and was released about six months ago. He had been residing in the city of Manbij and had headed to the village of Al-Swaidiya in the eastern countryside of Aleppo following his release. He held the position of financial coordinator within the IS group.
