The head of the Islamic State jihadist group, which has planned attacks carried out in Europe, was killed in a US strike in Syria, the US Middle East Command (CENTCOM) announced today.

Khaled Aid Ahmad al-Jabouri was primarily “responsible for planning IS attacks in Europe,” CENTCOM said in a statement, stressing that his death “will temporarily disrupt the organization’s ability to plan attacks abroad.”

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks in Europe at the height of its power, when it controlled large swaths of Syria and Iraq.

The US military clarified that today’s strike was launched in northwestern Syria, while assuring that there were no civilian casualties.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a US drone targeted the IS official in Idlib province, an area controlled by jihadists.

American drone

The man, an Iraqi who declared himself Syrian and had adopted the name Khaled, had fled to the area ten days ago, the Observatory said. He was targeted by an American drone while he was walking near his home and talking on the phone.

“IS remains a threat to the region and beyond,” said CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurila. “Although weakened, the group is still able to conduct operations in the region and is intent on striking (targets) beyond the Middle East,” he added.

After the defeat of IS in 2019, several hundred Americans remain deployed in northeastern Syria as part of the anti-jihadist coalition and continue to fight alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against members of the organization.

The US regularly announces that it is targeting IS officials who have sought refuge in Syria.

In October 2019, they announced the death of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during an operation in northwestern Syria.

On February 16, the US military announced that it had killed a key jihadist operative in a raid in northeastern Syria, an operation during which four US soldiers were wounded.

In 2022, two more IS operatives were killed, one in February by US special forces and the other in October by former rebels from Deraa province who now support the Damascus government.

Despite its defeat, IS continues to launch attacks in Syria, where the group recently targeted civilians picking truffles in the desert, killing dozens.