A US helicopter in northern Syria killed the leader of the Islamic State, responsible for planning attacks in the Middle East and Europe, Washington announced on Monday, quoted by DPA and Agerpres.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces killed Abd al-Hadi Mahmoud al-Haji Ali, along with two other militants from the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, during a raid on Monday morning, the Pentagon said.

The man was a senior ISIS leader and “an operational planner responsible for planning terrorist attacks in the Middle East and Europe,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that the man was the target of the operation.

The US military said the raid was launched after intelligence uncovered an Islamic State plot to kidnap foreign officials and use them as foreign currency.

“We know that ISIS retains its desire to strike beyond the borders of the Middle East,” said CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino.

“This raid deals a significant blow to ISIS operations in the region, but does not deprive ISIS of its ability to conduct operations,” he stressed.

The US military continues to destroy ISIS in Syria

CENTCOM previously announced that two gunmen were killed in the operation, which is believed to have resulted in no civilian casualties.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDO), confirmed to DPA that the operation took place and that three people were killed, two at the site of the operation and the third at the edge of the village.

According to OSDO, the attack took place near the city of Jarabulus, east of Aleppo, after midnight on Sunday.

In early April, CENTCOM announced the killing of another Islamic State leader, Khalid Idd Ahmad al-Jabouri, who was also responsible for planning the terrorist organization’s attacks in Europe.

The same U.S. military announced in December the elimination of two ISIS leaders in eastern Syria after a U.S. drone strike killed Maher al-Agal, the supreme leader of the Islamic State in Syria, in July.