US Special Forces kill Islamic State leader in Syria

Chalk up another win for the United States in the fight against the Islamic State. According to reports out of Syria, around 200 special forces soldiers carried out a raid to take out a top IS commander.

The operation started just after midnight Thursday morning, in a village called Muluk Saray. Using more than a dozen helicopters, the soldiers inserted into the heart of government-controlled territory in Syria’s northeast.

It’s a hot spot of military activity, with U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters and the Russian-backed Syrian government both at odds with what remains of the Islamic State in the region.

Reports from the ground said troops used loudspeakers to tell residents to stay inside their homes.

The Daily Mail reported the target of the raid was Rakan Abu Hayel, an IS leader accused of killing an American officer and coordinating the efforts of IS sleeper cells. Villagers said they thought Hayel was a shepherd.

The former IS leader was killed in the raid, and his body reportedly taken by the soldiers. Hayel’s family and several other people were also taken into custody. Villagers said there was no exchange of gunfire during the raid, which lasted several hours.

Thursday’s operation is the deepest U.S. forces have operated in Syrian government-controlled territory.

Reuters contributed to this report.