The mosque was located in the town of Hajin, eastern Syria, and was known to have been used by 16 heavily armed Islamic State terrorists as a base. A US military spokesman confirmed the jihadis were killed in the attack. He said: “This strike killed these terrorists who presented an imminent threat, and eliminated another deadly ISIS operational capability from the battlefield.” The strike on the Islamic State control centre was spearheaded by the US-led coalition, which was now regaining control of the province in war-torn Syria, according to Lilwa al-Abdallah, spokeswoman for the offensive in eastern Deir al-Zor province.
Eight weeks of fighting has seen US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) take back Hajin using airstrikes by US jets.
Before today’s victory, Brett McGurk, the US presidential envoy in the fight against the terror group, said that “almost every ISIS fighter is wearing a suicide vest”.
Of the 5,000 total, around 2,000 are said to be foreign fighters, mostly Arabs and Europeans along with their families.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 900 jihadists and 500 SDF fighters had been killed in the battle for Hajin.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
The region had been home to some 15,000 people, including 2,000 ISIS militants who tried to fight back with counteroffensives and suicide attacks.
The news comes after it emerged ISIS militants are on the run after losing their last remaining stronghold in Syria in the latest sign the terrorist organisation are continuing to shrink rapidly.
More than 60,000 ISIS fighters are said to have been killed as operations to eliminate the extremist group gathered pace in war torn Syria.
Yet the elimination of ISIS in Syria has not stopped jihadis swarming to other countries.
On Wednesday Islamic State’s remaining members celebrated the Strasbourg Christmas market shooting that saw four people killed and 12 injured.
Though ISIS have not claimed responsibility for the act of terror, they told their followers to “rejoice” at the horror on social media.
In messages posted to encrypted messaging app Telegram, one suspected jihadi said if the gunman is affiliated with ISIS “it means the group continues to possess the ability to carry out attacks outside of its territory”.
The suspect of the shooting was killed by French police.