US special forces carried out secret military raid killing ISIS leader

Special forces in the US have carried out a secret raid which resulted in the death of a high-ranking ISIS leader.

The news was first shared by state television in Syria on Thursday (6 October), and included claims that the rare operation on a government-held village also resulted in people being captured.

The raid took place in a village in the country's northeast, in an area of Hasakeh province which is held partly by government forces, and partly by US-backed Kurdish fighters.

Insiders told news channel Al Mayadeen that the victim was named Rakan Abu Hayel. A spokesperson for US Central Command, Colonel Joseph Buccino, has also confirmed to Reuters that US forces were involved in a dawn raid which sought to target an ISIS operative.

In a statement, Syria's state broadcaster said: “US occupation forces carried out a landing operation using several helicopters in the village of Muluk Saray in the southern countryside of Qamishli and killed one person."

Though the US has carried out raids in Syria before, today's operation is the first of its kind in an area controlled by the government.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the village involved in the raid is located 17 kilometres (10 miles) south of the city of Qamishli and is controlled by Syrian regime forces.

One village resident cited by Al Jazeera claimed troops emerged from three US helicopters which landed in the village after midnight. Residents were allegedly told via loudspeaker to stay indoors and keep their lights off.

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