Pentagon confirms death of ISIS leader in Syria

The Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed the death of a senior member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

A May 31 airstrike in the eastern Syrian city of Mayadin killed Turki al-Bin’ali, “the self proclaimed ‘Grand Mufti,’ or chief cleric of ISIS,” according to a U.S. Central Command statement.

ISIS had announced Al-Bin’ali’s death earlier this month.

{mosads}“Al-Bin’ali had a central role in recruiting foreign terrorist fighters and provoking terrorist attacks around the world,” the statement said. “As chief cleric to ISIS since 2014, he provided propaganda to incite murder and other atrocities, attempted to legitimize the creation of the ‘caliphate,’ and was a close confidant of [ISIS leader] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.”

The statement added that his propaganda writings included a call for terrorists to pledge allegiance to al-Baghdadi as “caliph.”

“His recruiting efforts for the terror group also included multiple recorded lectures attempting to justify and encouraging the slaughter of innocents,” the Centcom statement noted.

Originally from Bahrain, al-Bin’ali’s was known for issuing religious opinions for ISIS, including one that justified raping and enslaving women from the minority Yazidi community.