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THE leader of ISIS blew himself and his family up after using his own children as human shields during a bloody raid by US special forces, it emerged today. 

ISIS boss Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi "chose to blow himself up" in a "final act of desperate cowardness," President Joe Biden said on Thursday.

Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi detonated a bomb that killed him and members of his family, the White House said
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Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi detonated a bomb that killed him and members of his family, the White House saidCredit: AFP
The top level of the house was almost completely destroyed
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The top level of the house was almost completely destroyedCredit: Getty
13 people, including six kids and four women, are believed to be among the dead
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13 people, including six kids and four women, are believed to be among the deadCredit: Reuters

"As a final act of desperate cowardness, [al-Qurayshi] with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself up," Biden said.

He said the jihadi terrorist blew up "that third floor rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed, taking several members of his family with him.

"This horrible terrorist leader is no more."

Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and national security advisors, watched the raid on live-feed from the White House Situation Room, according to photos released by the administration.

"This operation is testament to America's reach and capability to take out terrorist threats, no matter where they try to hide anywhere in the world," he said.

"I'm determined to protect the American people from terrorist threats, and I'll take decisive action to protect this country.

"We remain vigilant. We remain prepared. Last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield and sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you."

Thirteen people are believed to have died, including six kids and four women, during the daring raid which involved 24 elite Special-Ops backed by fighter jets and helicopter gunships on Thursday.

"At the beginning of the operation, the terrorist target exploded a bomb that killed him and members of his own family, including women and children," a senior administration official told Reuters.

It comes hours after the President confirmed al-Qurayshi - who had a $10 million bounty on his head - had been "removed from the battlefield" during the overnight operation.

In a statement, the President said: "Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces in the northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place

"Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi—the leader of ISIS. All Americans have returned safely from the operation.

"May God protect our troops."

US troops were reportedly deployed via a helicopter in the middle of the night and surrounded Al-Qurashi's house and ordered the women and children to evacuate.

The helicopters then deployed their ordnance following the ground assault, with several strikes decimating large sections of the house.

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Cowardly Al-Qurashi became ISIS leader after former head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a similar raid by US forces in 2019 in the nearby town of Barisha.

Al-Qurashi, also known as Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, among other aliases, was a senior terrorist leader in ISIS's predecessor organisation, Al Qaeda in Iraq, and steadily rose through the ranks to become deputy leader, according to .

He spearheaded the campaign to abduct, rape, and slaughter thousands of Yazidis in northwest Iraq and was on the US State Department's most wanted list since March 2020.

The operation - which residents say lasted more than two hours - took place in Atmeh, a village near the border with Turkey that is home to thousands of Syrian refugees.

Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi—the leader of ISIS.

US President Joe Biden

Earlier, the Pentagon confirmed US special ops had carried out what it called a "successful" counter-terrorism mission.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said: "U.S. Special Operations forces under the control of U.S. Central Command conducted a counterterrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria.

"The mission was successful. There were no U.S. casualties."

It comes as haunting images emerge of body parts scattered around al-Qurashi's home in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province.

Jamil el-Deddo, a resident at a nearby refugee camp, told the AP: "The first moments were terrifying, no one knew what was happening.

"We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us."

The top floor of the house was almost completely destroyed while blood could also be seen on the walls and floor and a bedroom with a child's wooden crib on the floor.

On another damaged wall, a blue plastic children's swing was still hanging and a nearby kitchen was blackened with fire damage.

Other residents - who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals - said they heard helicopters, explosions and machine-gun fire.

This was the largest raid in the province since the 2019 Trump-era U.S. assault that killed the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Idlib is broadly controlled by Turkey-backed fighters, but is also an al-Qaeda stronghold and home to several of its top operatives.

Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region.

The Syrian Civil Defense and first responders known as the White Helmets confirmed 13 people were killed in shelling and clashes that ensued after U.S. the commando raid. They included six children and four women, it said.

Witnesses described seeing a large ground assault, with U.S. forces using megaphones urging women and children to leave the area.

Omar Saleh, a nearby resident, said the doors and windows of his house started to rattle to the sound of low-flying aircraft at 1:10 a.m. local time.

He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area.

This went on for 45 minutes. There was no response. Then the machine gun fire erupted, Saleh said. He said the firing continued for two hours, as aircraft circled low over the area.

We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us

Atmeh resident Jamil el-Deddo

Others reported hearing at least one major explosion during the operation.

A U.S. official said that one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground.

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops for the U.S.-led coalition using helicopters landed in the area and attacked a house. It said the force clashed with fighters on the ground.

The military operation got attention on social media, with tweets from the region describing helicopters firing around the building near Atmeh.

The U.S. has in the past used drones to kill top al-Qaeda operatives in Idlib, which at one point was home to the groups biggest concentration of leaders since the days of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

The fact that special forces landed on the ground suggest the target was believed to be of high value.

A similar attack in Pakistan, in 2011, killed Osama bin Laden.

Read More on The Sun

Thursday's clandestine operation came as the Islamic State group was reasserting itself in Syria and Iraq, carrying out some of its biggest attacks since it was defeated in 2019.

In recent weeks and months, the group has launched a series of operations in the region, including a 10-day assault late last month to seize a prison in northeastern Syria.

A swing chair is seen at damaged site
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A swing chair is seen at damaged siteCredit: Getty
The raid took place at a home near the border with Turkey
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The raid took place at a home near the border with TurkeyCredit: AP
Witnesses recounted seeing blood on across the walls of the house
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Witnesses recounted seeing blood on across the walls of the houseCredit: AP
A US Special-Ops chopper was blown up after encountering technical issues
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A US Special-Ops chopper was blown up after encountering technical issuesCredit: AFP
President Biden said al-Qurayshi had been 'removed from the battlefield' during the overnight operation
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President Biden said al-Qurayshi had been 'removed from the battlefield' during the overnight operationCredit: Splash
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