Junaid Hussain, an Islamic State cyber recruiter killed by a U.S. strike this week, had released the personal information of 1,300 U.S. government and military employees, the Pentagon said Friday.
Col. Pat Ryder, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, confirmed that Hussain was killed in Raqqah, Syria, when an airstrike hit him while standing outside a vehicle.
“Junaid Hussain’s death removes a key ISIL member involved in actively recruiting and inciting ISIL sympathizers in the West to carry out lone-wolf attacks,” Ryder said.
Hussain, a native of the United Kingdom, was a recruiter for the Islamic State, using social media to entice new fighters and encourage attacks against American service members, Ryder said.
Ryder said Hussain was also behind the release of the personally identifiable information of 1,300 U.S. government and military personnel, but declined to give any more details.
Even as a lead recruiter for the Islamic State was taken off the battlefield, the Iraqi forces continue to struggle to push the terrorist group out of Iraqi cities.
Baiji remains contested and in the middle of a difficult fight, Ryder said. While Iraqi forces have been able to “hold their ground” at the oil refinery north of the city, the Islamic State is making gains in the city.
“In the city, we’ve seen ISIL take back some ground, but again, they’re paying a very heavy price for it,” Ryder said.
The mission to retake Ramadi, which fell into Islamic State control in May, also continues to move slowly. The isolation phase, which includes cutting off supply routes in and escape routes out of the city, has been going on for weeks and continues, Ryder said.
The coalition conducted 11 airstrikes in Ramadi over the past week, largely targeting Islamic State personnel, he said.
“Progress is being made across the battlespace in the ongoing fight against ISIL and it remains a difficult fight and one that’s going to take a while,” Ryder said. “The Iraqis are dealing with some tough challenges in certain areas, but they also continue to do a lot of the right things.”
