Washington is pursuing its counterterrorism policy beyond its borders. A leader of the Islamic State group, identified as Bilal Al-Soudani, and “about ten people” linked to the terrorist organization were killed on Wednesday (January 25th) in an American raid in Somalia, the American executive said.
“Al-Sudani was responsible for encouraging the growing presence of the Islamic State group in Africa and financing its operations around the world, including in Afghanistan”commented in a press release published Thursday, January 26, the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.
“This action makes the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting Americans against the threat of terrorism at home and abroad,” he adds.
No civilian casualties
This operation prepared from ” several months “, caused no casualties either among the civilian population or among the American military, said a senior White House official during an interview with journalists. The senior official, who did not wish to be identified, said the raid was preceded by “intensive rehearsals” American forces, on sites “specifically built” to mimic the terrain where it took place, a cave in the mountains of northern Somalia.
“We were ready to capture Al-Soudani”she assured. “It was finally decided that a capture [du djihadiste] was the best option to get as much information as possible”, said another US official. But “the response of enemy forces led to his death”.
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the proposed mission last week and gave final approval to carry out the operation. President “Biden has made it very clear that we are committed to finding and eliminating all terrorist threats against the United States and against the American people, wherever they are, even in the most remote places”said another White House official.
The US military, which has a base in Djibouti, has been conducting operations in Somalia for several years, in cooperation with the regular Somali army and on behalf of the government. These are mainly air strikes against radical Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Qaeda Islamists, carried out from abroad, but it also conducts ground operations in the country, between two and four per year.
Last August, the leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, was killed on his balcony in Afghanistan by an American drone strike.