The US military carried out an operation that killed a senior Islamic State (ISIS) leader in northern Somalia, US officials said on Thursday, according to Reuters . The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that Bilal al-Sudani, a US-designated ISIS leader in Somalia, was killed in the operation along with about 10 of his associates. They added that the operation was approved by President Joe Biden earlier this week and carried out within the past 24 hours. The officials declined to add further details on the operation. ISIS overran large swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in land it controlled. The group also has affiliates in several other countries, with one of those being in Somalia . ISIS first began to gain a foothold in the country in 2015, when a small number of fighters pledged allegiance to then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, the group struggled to gain traction in Somalia, as it faced competition from the well-established Al-Shabaab. Despite this, ISIS has continued to carry out attacks in Somalia, often targeting government and military targets. Earlier this week, American forces captured two ISIS members during an air and ground assault in eastern Syria. Related articles: US, Israel discuss resettlement of Gazans in Syria Gazans to be resettled in East Africa? Israeli teen planned to join Islamic State in Somalia Hostile factors attempt to take over communications Several military offensives, including those backed by the US-led international coalition, have since seen ISIS lose most areas it once controlled in Iraq and Syria, including the loss of their de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa. However, ISIS sleeper calls remain in the area continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq.
