US forces conduct surprise attack and kill four Islamic State leaders, seven US troops injured

As of September 14, 2024, the US military said that in a military raid carried out by the United States and Iraq in western Iraq last month, four senior leaders of the Islamic State were killed, including the organization's top operational leader in Iraq and its chief bomb maker. The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information on this bomb maker.

These four Islamic State leaders were part of the 14 Islamic State militants killed in raids on four locations in western Iraq on August 29. During this raid, seven US soldiers were injured. The US Central Command said in a statement that this operation targeted Islamic State leaders with the aim of disrupting and weakening the Islamic State's ability to plan and organize attacks.

The four leaders killed were: Ahmed Hameed Hussein Abdul-Jalil al-Isawi, responsible for all operations in Iraq; Abu Hamam, responsible for overseeing all operations in western Iraq; Abu Ali the Tunisian, responsible for overseeing technology development, described as the bomb maker in charge of the Islamic State in Iraq, providing members with explosives, *** vest and improvised explosive device manufacturing training as well as advanced training in weapons development and chemical weapons manufacturing; Shakir Abdul-Ahmed al-Isawi, responsible for overseeing military operations in western Iraq. The Central Command earlier said that some Islamic State militants in the raid were holding grenades and wearing *** belts with explosive devices.