(Via AP) The Pentagon says U.S. commandos have mounted a rare raid in eastern Syria, killing the Islamic State commander in charge of oil fields in a firefight and capturing his wife.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the raid Saturday, identifying the militant as Abu Sayyaf. He said no U.S. forces were killed or injured.
Syrian state media earlier reported government forces killed at least 40 IS fighters, including a senior commander in charge of oil fields, in an attack Saturday on the country’s largest oil field — held by IS.
It identified the commander as Abu al-Teem al-Saudi.
The Britain-based Syria Observatory for Human Rights confirmed an oil field attack, saying at least 19 IS members, including 12 foreigners, were killed. The group did not say who carried out the attack.
[…]  A U.S. defense official said the leader killed was a Tunisian national designated by IS as the organization’s “emir of oil and gas.” The official said Abu Sayyaf had “associations” with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, and was thought to have knowledge about a wide range of IS operations.

A senior Iraqi intelligence official said Abu Sayyaf is a former follower of Osama bin Laden who later joined the IS group. The official said Iraqi authorities had given the Americans information about him, saying he was in charge of IS finances. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

The U.S. defense official said the raid was conducted overnight Friday (Friday evening Washington time) by a team of Army Delta commandos who flew from Iraq into eastern Syria aboard V-22 Osprey aircraft and Blackhawk helicopters.

Upon arrival at the target, which was a multi-story building, the Americans met stiff resistance. A “fairly intense firefight” ensued, including hand-to-hand combat, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the raid by name.

The U.S. estimates that about a dozen IS fighters were killed but no civilians were wounded, even though women and children were present. The Americans returned to their base unharmed by about midnight Washington time.

The official said the woman, identified as Umm Sayyaf, is an Iraqi citizen and is in U.S. custody in Iraq.

A senior Obama administration official said Umm Sayyaf was being debriefed to obtain intelligence about IS operations. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the operation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. The NSC said the wife is suspected of having played an important role in IS operations, including possibly the enslavement of the Yazidi woman.

The National Security Council statement said President Barack Obama authorized the operation upon the “unanimous recommendation” of his national security team. (read more)