Daesh spokesman killed in Syria

By Ahmed Ghanem Selouma, Afra Aksoy

ALEPPO, Syria

A Daesh spokesperson and senior leader was killed Tuesday in a clash in Syria, according to a news agency affiliated with the terrorist group.

Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, whose real name is Taha Sobhi Falaha, was killed in a battle around Aleppo, the Amaq News Agency said.

Al-Adnani, born in 1977 in Syria’s Idlib countryside, was known for his nearness to Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In addition to being Daesh’s spokesman, Adnani headed the group’s external operations.

In Washington, the Pentagon confirmed that a coalition airstrike targeted Adnani near northern Syria’s al-Bab.

“We are still assessing the results of the strike, but Al-Adnani's removal from the battlefield would mark another significant blow to ISIL,” spokesman Peter Cook said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, another name for Daesh.

The U.S. military will “continue to prioritize and relentlessly target ISIL leaders and external plotters in order to defend our homeland, our allies and our partners, while we continue to gather momentum in destroying ISIL's parent tumor in Iraq and Syria and combat its metastases around the world,” he added.

The U.S. State Department had offered a $5 million reward for information about al-Adnani, who was one of the most wanted terrorists in the world.

*Reporting by Ahmed Ghanem Selouma, Afra Aksoy; Writing By Emin Avundukluoglu from Ankara, Michael Hernandez from Washington