WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after President Biden announced that a U.S. military operation resulted in the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the global head of ISIS operations:

“Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi spent his life spreading terror and endangering innocents, and in his final act he murdered those closest to him,” said Senator King. “I’m deeply grateful for all who played a role in this surgical effort: from the President – who ordered the raid – to the intelligence operatives who gathered the actionable information and the allies in the region who helped make the operation a success. When I toured the region late last year, I came away impressed by the collaboration and support of our security partners; today was a clear demonstration of the unity and resolve required to stabilize this complicated part of the world.

“Above all, I am grateful for the immense skill and dedication of America’s military, who undertook great personal risk in order to bring this heinous terrorist to justice. Thanks to their efforts, the world is safer today than it was yesterday.

“The death of ISIS’s leader is a significant blow to the organization – but the threat still remains, and our vigilance cannot waver. We must move forward, together, in our fight to defend America and its allies from those who seek to do us harm.”