Top ISIL commander targeted in coalition strike in Syria: US official
Omar al-Shishani appears regularly in the group's online videos. (AP)
A top Islamic State commander, Omar al-Shishani, was targeted in a coalition air strike in Syria, a US official today said, without specifying his fate.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed only that al-Shishani was the target of the strike inside Syria, leaving unclear whether he was killed.
Omar "the Chechen" is one of the terror group's commanders, and is a former member of an elite Georgian military unit.
He has a $5 million US bounty on his head and is known for his flowing red beard.
The US Treasury, which designated him a foreign terrorist fighter in 2014, said he maintained "unique authority" within Islamic State.
He was the group's top commander and leader in northern Syria with about 1,000 foreign fighters under his command, according to the US Treasury.
It said he also oversaw a prison near Raqa where foreign hostages may have been held.
With AFP.
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