Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Strike Against ISIL Senior Leader
Sept. 12, 2016

The Department of Defense has confirmed that the U.S. precision airstrike on Aug. 30 targeting senior ISIL leader Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani was successful. The strike near Al Bab, Syria, removes from the battlefield ISIL’s chief propagandist, recruiter and architect of external terrorist operations. It is one in a series of successful strikes against ISIL leaders, including those responsible for finances and military planning, that make it harder for the group to operate. As we continue to gather momentum in our counter-ISIL campaign, we will continue to target ISIL leaders, relentlessly pursue its external plotters, and, working with our partners on the ground, we will not rest in our efforts to destroy ISIL’s parent tumor in Iraq and Syria, combat its metastases around the world, and protect our homeland.