Syrian Kurdish-Led Forces Assisted U.S. Efforts in Death of Islamic State Leader, Commander Says

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces gather in their military vehicles as they withdraw from the Sanjak Saadoun border area near the northern Syrian town of Amuda, on Oct. 27, 2019. (Credit: SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Associated Press

Posted: Oct 27, 2019 / 09:40 AM PDT

Updated: Oct 27, 2019 / 09:40 AM PDT

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The commander of the Syrian Kurdish-led forces says five months of joint intelligence cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition led to the killing of the leader of the Islamic State group.

Mazloum Abdi said in a tweet Sunday that the reported killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi took place in a joint operation following “cooperation on the ground and accurate monitoring” for five months. He called it a “successful and historic” joint intelligence work with the U.S.

The U.S. raid with helicopters took place in the Barisha area north of Idlib city a few kilometers from the Turkish border.

The Kurdish-led forces cooperated with the U.S.-coalition for at least four years to fight IS in Syria until they declared military victory against the group in March.