Decisive Strike Against ISIS: Major US Operation Eliminates Leadership

One of the most significant anti-terror operations in recent years has dealt a heavy blow to the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq: Four senior leaders of the extremist group were killed last month, as reported by the U.S. military on Friday. This success comes at a time when IS attacks in Iraq and Syria have increased. The operation, conducted by American and Iraqi commandos on August 29, targeted multiple IS hideouts in western Iraq. According to the Pentagon's Central Command and U.S. anti-terrorism officials, at least 14 insurgents were eliminated, including key leaders of the group within the country. The operation prominently resulted in the death of Abu Ali al-Tunisi, a Tunisian national and a key figure in IS. As announced on Friday, the U.S. government had placed a five-million-dollar bounty on him. Al-Tunisi was the most significant developer, manufacturer, and trainer for IS in explosives – including improvised explosive devices, suicide vests, and car bombs. Apart from Al-Tunisi, the top IS commander for all operations in Iraq and two high-ranking commanders for the western regions of the country were also killed, according to the military's statement. "This operation seems to have wiped out the entire IS leadership in Anbar," wrote Charles Lister, Director of the Syria and Counterterrorism Programs at the Middle East Institute, in his newsletter "Syria Weekly" on Friday. Anbar is a vast province in western Iraq which has been considered a stronghold of violent Sunni extremists for years. The Central Command and the Iraqi military revealed few details about the operation when announcing it on August 30, despite it being one of the most comprehensive anti-terror missions in the country in years.