Enlarge image
IS member with flag in Raqqa: The Syrian city was long considered the unofficial capital of the self-proclaimed "caliphate"
Photo: © Stringer.
/Reuters/ Reuters
The "Islamic State" (IS) dominated large parts of Syria and Iraq for years - and spread fear and terror.
The terrorist militia is now retreating, but hundreds of fighters are said to be still active.
In Syria, the US-led anti-IS coalition has now apparently struck a blow against the terrorists.
In an operation in the north of the country, the alliance says it has arrested a high-ranking IS leader.
"The arrested person was believed to be an experienced bomb maker and mastermind who has become one of the group's leaders in Syria," the coalition statement said.
There was no further information on the identity of the man.
No civilians were harmed during the operation.
Earlier, a spokesman for a Turkey-backed Syrian rebel group told Reuters news agency that coalition forces had attacked a helicopter early in the morning in the village of Al-Humaira, south of the Turkish border.
According to a representative of the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), Major Youssef Hamoud, American Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters were involved.
"This is the first helicopter landing in areas controlled by the SNA," he said.
The Washington Post reported that US government officials had identified the arrested man as Hani Ahmed al-Kurdi.
He was formerly known as the governor of Raqqa.
The city in northern Syria was once considered the unofficial capital of IS-controlled territory.
In 2014, the extremists overran large regions in Iraq and Syria and proclaimed a self-proclaimed “caliphate” there.
In the meantime they have lost their dominion again.
In October 2019, IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed during a US special forces operation in Syria.
According to US information, he detonated an explosive vest to avoid arrest.
His successor, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Kurashi, also died in a US operation in northern Syria last February.
According to US information, he blew up himself and his family.
asc/dpa/Reuters