Coalition kills IS leader responsible for killing US citizen

The US-led coalition has confirmed it has killed a senior Islamic State (IS) member responsible for the murder of a US citizen in 2014.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The US-led coalition has confirmed it has killed a senior Islamic State (IS) member responsible for the murder of a US citizen in 2014.

“Coalition forces conducted precision strikes against a senior [IS] member, Abu al Umarayn, and several other [IS] members on Dec. 2 in the Badiyah Desert, Syria,” coalition spokesperson Col. Sean Ryan said in a statement.

“[Abu] Al Umarayn had given indications of posing an imminent threat to Coalition Forces, and he was involved in the killing of American Citizen and former US Army Ranger, Peter Kassig,” he added.

According to the US-led coalition, the jihadist has been linked to and directly involved with executing several other prisoners.

“Coalition airstrikes continue to disrupt [IS] command and control on the battlefield as we remove key figures from their ranks,” the coalition statement further read.

Kassig, a 26-year-old who provided aid to Syria, was captured in October 2013. IS militants beheaded him in 2014. He earlier served as a US army ranger until 2007.

Kassig was not the only victim of kidnapping.

Journalist James Foley, the first US journalist to be held captive, was also murdered by IS in 2014. Austin Tice, another journalist and former marine, disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012. Some believe he is still alive.

Editing by Nadia Riva