A US counter-terrorism operation in northern Somalia killed a senior Islamic State figure Bilal-al-Sudani on Thursday. No troops or civilians were killed in the operation, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
Here are five facts on Bilal al-Sudani:
According to US, Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group's operations worldwide.
In a release, the White House said al-Sudani had a long history as a terrorist in Somalia. Before joining ISIS, he was designated by the US Treasury Department in 2012 for his role in extremist al-Shabaab movement in Somalia.
Ten years ago, before he joined the Islamic State, Sudani was involved in recruiting and training fighters for al-Shabaab.
Sudani had a key operational and financial role with specialised skills, which made him an important target for US counterterrorism action, the White House further said.
He used to operate from a mountain base in northern Somalia, providing and coordinating funding for branches of Islamic State.
