Elimination of Maher al-Agal in Syria degrades ability of ISIS to conduct operation in region: Biden

Washington [US], July 13 (ANI)

President Joe Biden on Tuesday hailed the US military and the intelligence community for eliminating Maher al-Agal, top leader of Islamic State (ISIS), in a successful counter-terrorism operation in Syria and said that the airstrike has degraded the ability of ISIS to plan, resource, and conduct their operations in the region.

"Today, the men and women of the US military and of our intelligence community successfully executed an airstrike against one of the top leaders of ISIS, Maher al Agal," Biden said.

Calling the counter-terrorism operation a success, Biden said that Maher al Agal's death in Syria took a key terrorist off the field and degraded the ability of ISIS to plan, resource, and conduct their operations in the region. He also recalled the US operation in February that eliminated ISIS's overall leader, and stressed how it sends a powerful message to all the terrorists who threaten the United States and its interests around the world.

In a further statement, Biden said "This airstrike represents the culmination of determined and meticulous intelligence work and stands as a testament to the bravery and skill of our armed forces."

It also demonstrates that the United States does not require thousands of troops in combat missions to identify and eliminate threats to our country, the statement added.

On behalf of the American people, he thanked the military personnel for their selfless service, their dedication, their professionalism, and the teamwork that led to this successful outcome, the Press Release stated.

"The American people -- and our allies and partners -- are safer today because of their actions," Joe Biden said.

In 2020, the US carried out a strike near Baghdad's international airport killing Soleimani, a US-designated terrorist, along with six others under the direction of President Donald Trump.

The action was extensively condemned by China, Russia and Syria as the nations consistently opposed the use of military force in international relations.