Two European foreign fighters were killed on the same day in recent U.S. airstrikes, a Pentagon spokesman announced Thursday.
The operations were part of an ongoing effort to take out fighters from both ISIS and al Qaeda that are planning external attacks against the West.
Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for the coalition against ISIS, identified the two as Abu al-Zubair al-Bosni and Khaled Othman Al Timawi. Al-Bosni was a Swedish national of Bosnian decent who was killed in Bajar, Iraq, and Al Timawi was a Swedish-born foreign fighter, described by Warren as ISIS's deputy emir of the Anwar al Awlaki brigade.
The Pentagon said the strike took place on March 16.
"Both of these strikes deprive ISIL of motivated foreign fighters who have displayed leadership aptitude," Warren said in response to a question from CNN.
"We are specifically targeting cells, groups, and individuals who we expect are plotting to export terror," he added.
The targeted ISIS leaders' connection to Sweden is bound to raise additional concerns about the organization's presence in Europe.
Approximately 300 Swedes have traveled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside militant groups, with 150 having returned to Sweden, according to the Soufan Group, a security consultancy that tracks foreign fighters. Among Western countries, Sweden ranks only behind Belgium in terms of the number of foreign fighters per capita, with about 30 foreign fighters for every one million Swedes.
The two strikes come on the heels of recent strikes in Idlib, Syria, against two key al Qaeda leaders.
Warren said the coalition is looking for more opportunities of a similar nature.
"We are out looking for them. As the pressure continues to mount, they become exposed," he said.
SOURCE: CNN
No comments:
Post a Comment