According to Pentagon authorities, Bilal al-Sudani was killed in a special military operation and was a "major facilitator" for the "Islamic State" group's expansion.
Officials said on Thursday that US special forces killed a prominent member of the "Islamic State" (IS) group in rural northern Somalia.
According to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Bilal al-Sudani, the regional head of IS in Somalia, was a "key facilitator" for the group's global network.
"This action leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism at home and abroad," Austin said in a statement.
According to Austin, US President Joe Biden authorised the operation, which was carried out on Wednesday.
Al-Sudani and ten other IS fighters were killed in a battle as US soldiers landed on a rocky cave complex to arrest him, according to US authorities.
According to Austin, no civilians were killed or injured during the operation. According to the Associated Press news agency, one American who participated in the operation was injured after being bitten by a military dog.
Who was Bilal al-Sudani?
According to media sources quoting US authorities, al-Sudani was recruited and trained militants for the al-Qaida-linked organisation al-Shabab before joining IS.
He allegedly organised funds for IS activities in Africa and the Islamic-State Khorasan branch in Afghanistan (IS-K).
"Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of [IS] in Africa and for funding the group's operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan," Austin said.