Maher al-Agal, identified by the Pentagon as one of the top five Islamic State leaders and the Islamic State leader in Syria, was killed in a drone strike in Jindayris in northwestern Syria. “His death in Syria removes a key terrorist from the field and significantly diminishes his ability [the Islamic State] to plan, supply and conduct their activities in the region,” the president said. “It sends a strong message to all terrorists who threaten our homeland and our interests around the world. The United States will be relentless in its efforts to bring you to justice.” The US Central Command said in a press release that an unidentified senior Islamic State official was also seriously wounded in the attack that killed Agal. The Pentagon said an “initial review” showed there were no civilian casualties, although that information could not be immediately confirmed. Agal was “responsible for aggressively pursuing the development of Islamic State networks outside of … Iraq and Syria,” according to the US Central Command. Islamic State at its peak controlled more than 40,000 square miles stretching from Syria to Iraq and ruled over 8 million people. While the group’s territorial state collapsed in 2019, its leaders turned to guerrilla tactics and were able to “effectively restructure themselves organizationally,” according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan, Washington-based thinktank. The strike in Agal comes months after Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi killed himself during a raid on his hideout by US special forces. The Pentagon said Qureshi was blown up along with members of his family.
