US raid in Syria kills Islamic State weapons smuggler

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say U.S. special operations forces conducted a raid in northeast Syria overnight, killing an Islamic State insurgent who was involved in smuggling weapons and fighters. A U.S. official said a small number of U.S. commandos were on the ground near the village of Qamishli for less than an hour to conduct the raid. U.S. Central Command said Thursday that the helicopter raid targeted Rakkan Wahid al Shamman, who was known to facilitate the smuggling in support of IS operations. The statement says he was killed in the raid, and one IS insurgent was wounded and two others were captured and detained.