Pentagon: US Air Strike “kills IS Libya head”
Officials at the Pentagon are confirming that a US air strike in Libya has "killed Islamic State's leader in Libya". Abu Nabil, Iragi national, also known as Wissam Najm Abd Al-Zubaydi, was an Al-Qaeda operative and senior ISIS leader in Libya. This air strike was conducted on Friday night (November 13th, 2015). This news comes in a day after "Jihadi John" was killed in Syria.
On Friday, it was reported that an air strike targeted a senior ISIS member in Libya. This report was confirmed by two U.S administration officials. Wissam Al-Zubaydi has led Al-Qaeda operations in Iraq in the past. He moved onto head ISIS in Libya after the group's formation in April 2013 from a group known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq at the time. According to the Pentagon, this direct strike on ISIS in Libya proves that the US will "go after ISIL leaders wherever they operate."
It is also being said that there was "no connection" between this air strikes and the deadly bombings in Paris on Friday that have shocked the world. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook during his briefing confirmed that the US air strike was authorised and even took place before the events in Paris on Friday. The spokesman also seemed to suggest that Wissam Al-Zubaydi may have been same ISIS leader pictured in a horrifying video showing the apparent execution of Coptic Christians in Libya.
He further added that Wissam Al-Zubaydi "death will degrade Isil's ability to meet the group's objectives in Libya, including recruiting new Isil members, establishing bases in Libya, and planning external attacks on the United States."
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