Who was Bilal al-Sudani? US military kills 10 'ISIS associates' in Biden-approved ‘precision’ strike
WASHINGTON, DC: The US military carried out a counterterrorism mission with zero US casualties and took out a key facilitator with ten other ISIS operatives in Somalia. One main person of interest was Bilal al-Sudani who was taken out by the military after an "extensive planning and exquisite execution of the plan, there were no casualties among American service members or civilians," as per the statement.
Bilal al-Sudani was involved in funding a network of ISIS affiliates around the world. The development took place in a "precision operation" in the "mountainous cave complex in northern Somalia," on orders from the President. The official statement reads, "Last night, on orders from the President, the U.S. military conducted an assault operation in northern Somalia that resulted in the death of Bilal al-Sudani, a key operative and facilitator for ISIS’s global network, as well as a number of other ISIS operatives." As explained, the counterterrorism mission was in the works for a few months. President Joe Biden authorized the operation last week, after "careful consideration of its risks and benefits." This news comes after a US military strike killed nearly 30 al-Shabaab fighters near the town of Galcad.
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The statement further reads, "The success of yesterday’s operation reflects the extraordinary and patient work of the Defense Department and its interagency partners across our government. That included locating Sudani and determining the nature of his associates. It also included extensive rehearsals of the operation itself by our military forces, including at sites specifically built to recreate the terrain where the operation ultimately needed to take place. And, of course, it included the actual execution that was careful, precise, and effective."
Who was Bilal al-Sudani?
Bilal al-Sudani was said to be funding ISIS operations in Africa as well as the ISIS-K terrorist branch operating in Afghanistan, and was said to be working closely with Abdella Hussein Abadigga. Abadigga was known for hiring young men in South Africa and sending them to weapons training camps. The US Department of Treasury talked about Bilal in 2022 saying, "Bilal al-Sudani, a U.S.-designated ISIS leader in Somalia, considered Abadigga a trusted supporter who could help the ISIS supporters in South Africa become better organized and recruit new members."
al-Sudani was reportedly in control of two mosques in South Africa and would extort money from the mosque members. Apart from this, he was also said to be involved with al-Shabaab, which is another terrorist organization operating in Somalia. al-Sudani would help foreign fighters travel to an al-Shabab training camp and facilitate financing for violent extremists. Originally, the military wanted to capture him to "maximize the intelligence value of the operation." However, "At the same time, and based on extensive past experience, we recognize that even an intended capture operation might well result in al-Sudani’s death — as it ultimately did."