ISIS Leader Dead After U.S. Commandos Raid House in Syria

President Biden said Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi exploded a bomb that killed him and members of his family.

A risky predawn raid by U.S. Special Operations forces that resulted in the death of the Islamic State’s leader on Thursday was set in motion months ago with a tip that the top terrorist was hiding out on the top floor of a house in northwest Syria.

In brief remarks at the White House, President Biden said the decision to send about two dozen helicopter-borne commandos to capture or kill the leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, was made to minimize the risk of civilian harm. Military officials said attacking with a bomb or a missile would have been safer for the troops but could have endangered more than a dozen civilians in the house, including several children.

“We made a choice to pursue a Special Forces raid, at a much greater risk than our — to our own people, rather than targeting him with an airstrike,” Mr. Biden said. “We made this choice to minimize civilian casualties.”