Mogadishu January 27, 2023 (SD) – The United States has said that special forces have killed a senior leader of the Somali-based Daesh extremist group.

Bilal Al-Sudani was accused of being a key figure in the financing and expansion of the Islamic extremist group in Africa and beyond.

Ten members of his group were also killed in the operation. The officials said the killing took place after the forces attacked a compound in mountainous northern Somalia, in an attempt to capture him. U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the operation in the Cal Misk area of the Bari region.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the operation killed Bilal al-Sudani, a senior member of al-Shabaab, and other fighters with him.

He added that the US troops had been given the order to capture Bilal alive, but his followers put up resistance that led to his death.

Security analysts said the U.S. decision to send ground troops to the area shows the importance of capturing Bilal al-Sudani.