IS Leader Linked to Paris Attacks Killed in Syria — US Military

“What Amimour’s family told me is that he (al Mouadan) seemed to be the leader of their group of three people”, he said, and the family had said al Mouadan rose in Islamic State ranks more than the other two. Together, the coalition has been building “a smothering pressure” on the Islamic State group, Warren said.

French media reported a Paris attack survivor from the Bataclan heard one of the gunmen mention Mouadan by his nickname.

Al Mouadan lived in a middle-class, residential district, midway between Drancy city center and the train station, Lagarde said, insisting that this was not an underprivileged area. The Paris official was not authorized to discuss the case, so spoke on condition of anonymity. Amimour was killed by police. But he confirmed that the jihadi was indeed thought to have links with members of the Paris attacks cell.

The US is ramping up pressure on such high-value militants.

The commandos – likely about 100 – operated in small teams, gathering intelligence that would fuel airstrikes and other operations.

Coalition spokesman Warren said casualties to Iraqi forces during the battle for Ramadi were in the low double digits.

Another was a UK-educated Bangladeshi computer systems engineer, he said.

The insurgent, Siful Haque Sujan, was killed near Raqqa, Syria.

“We’re striking at the head of this snake”, Warren said.

“I think we would agree that it doesn’t send the most constructive message to carry out a strike like that”, Toner said. “We provided specialized engineering equipment to clear improvised explosive devices, a floating bridge to help get combat power into downtown Ramadi, and we partnered with the Iraqis to give advice and assistance at multiple Iraqi army headquarters”. “There’s much more fighting to do”.

Washington said the strikes were weakening the extremist group, which captured swaths of Iraq and Syria a year ago but has suffered a string of setbacks in recent weeks.

On Monday, Iraqi security forces declared victory over the IS in Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s western province of Anbar.

All 10 of the Islamic State leaders killed and named on Tuesday were targeted with airstrikes, mostly using unmanned aircraft, Warren said.

The government has designated the largely Sunni city of Mosul, 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Baghdad, as another goal for Iraq’s armed forces. The US has been involved in air strikes in Syria since August 2014 as part of an global coalition that seeks to end ISIS’ domination of Syria and Iraq.