The United States military has successfully killed a key facilitator for the ISIS terrorist group, identified as Bilal al-Sudani, along with ten operatives, in a counterterrorism mission that was able to prevent any American casualties, senior administration officials announced on Thursday.

They added that following "extensive planning and exquisite execution of the plan, there were no casualties among American service members or civilians." Officials also noted that the ISIS facilitator was involved in funding a network of the group's affiliates worldwide.

ISIS Leader Killed in Somalia

One person said that al-Sudani was specifically providing funds and working on expanding the terrorist group's in Africa and through the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan. In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the assault operation.

Austin said that al-Sudani was known to be responsible for fostering the growing presence of the terrorist group in Africa and providing financial support for the group's operations elsewhere around the globe, such as in Afghanistan.

The American official added that the killing of al-Sudani has left the US and its partners safer and more secure. He said that it reflects the American government's commitment to protecting its people from the threat of terrorism both at home and abroad, as per Fox News.

Austin noted that they were grateful to the extraordinary service members, intelligence community, and other interagency partners for their role in the operation. On Thursday afternoon, US Africa Command confirmed the mission as well. It said that a vital part of the command's operations was to protect civilians, which was crucial for promoting greater security for all Africans.

The counterterrorism operation resulted from what US authorities called "extraordinary coordination and careful planning" between all elements of the American government for several months.

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Counterterrorism Operation

Last week, planning of the operation reached a critical stage, and the Pentagon briefed United States President Joe Biden regarding the plan as well as Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Deputy CIA Director David Cohen, Attorney-General Merrick Garland, and other senior members who were part of the White House national security team.

The American military troops' operation was conducted in a remote mountainous cave in northern Somalia. According to the New York Times, one official said that the army forces were prepared to capture the ISIS facilitator but argued that the response from his associates resulted in his death.

The fact that the United States military deployed commandos to either capture or kill al-Sudani instead of using a safer approach showed how important he was to the terrorist group. Somalia is a harbor for Al Shabab, which is linked to Al Qaeda more than ISIS.

The counterterrorism operation came after United States forces killed two top ISIS leaders during an airstrike in Syria late last year. The newest operation represents the Biden administration's continued use of "over-the-horizon" operations to counter terrorist threats. It is seen as a shift in strategy that the Democrat reiterated following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, said CNN.

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