The Turkish President revealed that the intelligence operation took place in Jinderes in northwestern Syria on Saturday.
Turkish intelligence forces have killed the suspected leader of the ISIL (ISIS) group, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced.
Erdogan said Turkish intelligence had been monitoring the alleged leader of the hardline group for a long time before launching their operation.
“This individual was neutralized as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organization in Syria yesterday,” Erdogan said in an interview with TRT Turk broadcaster on Sunday.
“We will continue our struggle against terrorist organizations without any discrimination,” added the president.
Syrian local and security sources said the raid took place near the northern Syrian town of Jinderes, which is controlled by Turkish-backed rebel groups and was among the worst-hit areas of the February 6 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
No announcement from ISIL (ISIS). The Syrian National Army, an opposition faction that has a security presence in the area, did not immediately provide any comment.
A correspondent from the AFP news agency in northern Syria said Turkish intelligence agents and local military police, backed by Turkey, sealed off a zone in Jindires on Saturday.
The compound is said to be a residence #ISISthe global leader is located outside the town of #Jinderessurrounded by fields of olive trees.
The area was hit hard by the earthquake, resulting in many visits by foreign media and several aid groups.
Check out these photos from @faizaldoghim060 pic.twitter.com/2M3oqTesTk
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) April 30, 2023
Residents told AFP that an operation targeted an abandoned farm used as an Islamic school.
A resident told Reuters news agency that clashes began on the edge of town overnight from Saturday to Sunday, lasting about an hour before residents heard a large explosion.
The area was cordoned off by security forces to prevent anyone from approaching.
Al-Qurashi became the leader of ISIL (ISIS) in November 2022 after his predecessor was killed.
The ISIL (ISIS) group took over large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, and its leader at the time, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared an Islamic caliphate in an area that is home to millions of people.
But the group lost its grip on territory after campaigns by US-backed forces in Syria and Iraq, as well as by Syrian forces backed by Iran, Russia and various paramilitaries.
Its remaining fighters are now mostly in hiding in remote areas of Syria and Iraq, and still launch attacks from time to time.
