The U.S. appreciates Türkiye's fight against Daesh/ISIS, Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder said Tuesday when asked about a recent operation in Syria by Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in which the terrorist group's leader, Abu Hussein Al Huseyni Al Qurayshi, was "neutralized."
"At this time, we can't corroborate those reports. Certainly, that would be welcome news if true. You know, broadly speaking, we do appreciate what Turkey has done to counter ISIS, but that's about as much as I have," said Ryder.
Turkish authorities use the term "neutralized" to imply the terrorist or terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Turkish forces have engaged with Daesh/ISIS in the past in northern Syria, and "anything that the international community can do to help with the enduring defeat of ISIS is very helpful," he added.
Asked whether there is any communication between the armed forces of the two countries on this issue, Ryder avoided answering the question.
On April 30, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Al-Qurayshi was "neutralized."
Al-Qurayshi detonated his suicide vest when he realized that he was about to be captured by Turkish intelligence forces.
He joined the Daesh/ISIS terror group in 2013 and rose to senior positions within the organization in a short time.
Al-Qurayshi was declared the new "caliph" on Nov. 30, 2022 following the killing of the previous Daesh/ISIS leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
