Prominent ISIS recruiter targeted in airstrike
August 27, 2015 22:16
The US military and intelligence community is in the final stages of confirming that a U.S. drone strike this week killed Junaid Hussain, who is linked to the Garland, Texas, cartoon contest attack, CNN has learned.
"We have a high level of confidence he was killed," one U.S. official told CNN Wednesday, referring to the British-born ISIS recruiter and hacker that the U.S. believes was heavily involved in inspiring attacks.
CNN has learned that Hussain was killed in Raqqa, the self-declared capital of ISIS. Raqqa, located in northern Syria, has been treated as a safe haven by ISIS, some U.S. officials pointed out, so reaching him in the city adds to the significance of the strike.
Several US officials told CNN that the drone strike was specifically targeting Hussain traveling in a vehicle in Syria after the US got intelligence on where he was and watched him to confirm his presence before striking. Subsequent assessments indicated that Hussain had stepped outside when he was hit by a missile from a U.S. drone.
The mission was conducted by the US military because it has clear rules of engagement to attack ISIS, and there could be no implication the British government was involved in the killing of Hussain, a British citizen.
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