A top Islamic State (IS) leader known as “Omar the Chechen” has killed after suffering several injuries during an airstrike conducted in Syria on March 4, the U.S. Defence Department confirmed, on Tuesday.

12 other jihadi fighters would have killed during the attack, near the town of Al Shadadi, in the Al Hasaka province bordering Turkey.

Known as “Omar the Chechen,” Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili who was known by his nom de guerre Abu Omar al-Shishani, was born in Georgia and served in the armed forces of his country during the short war with Russia in 2008.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, said that, “Shishani is a battle-tested leader with experience who had led IS fighters in numerous engagements in Iraq and Syria.”

“His potential removal from the battlefield would negatively impact IS’ ability to recruit foreign fighters especially those from Chechnya and the Caucasus region and degrade IS’ ability to coordinate attacks and defence of its strongholds like Raqqa, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq,” he added.

Nandini