CBS News: Top ISIS Leader 'Omar The Chechen' Likely Killed In US Airstrike In Syria
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A top leader for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was likely killed in a U.S. airstrike in northeastern Syria last week.
CBS News reports Omar al-Shishani – better known as "Omar the Chechen" – was likely killed along with a dozen other ISIS fighters, according to initial Pentagon assessments.
Al-Shishani, whose real name was Tarkhan Batirashvili, was an ethnic Chechen from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia.
He held the position of minister of war for ISIS, which CBS News reports is the equivalent position of secretary of defense.
DOD confirms US airstrike targeted #ISIL Minister of War Abu Omar #Shishani near #Shadadi in #Syria. We are still assessing strike results.
— Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) March 8, 2016
The U.S. government had a $5 million bounty on the ISIS terrorist.
"Omar the Chechen" reportedly recruited "Jihadi John" to join the terror group. "Jihadi John" – whose real name was Mohammed Emwazi – was best known for beheading Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff on camera. Emwazi was killed in an airstrike last November.
The airstrike was conducted by multiple waves of manned and unmanned U.S. aircraft.