US confirms death of IS spokesman

The Pentagon has confirmed the death of longtime Islamic State (IS) spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani in a United States led airstrike in Syria that took place on August 30.

Calling Adnani a propagandist, recruiter and architect of external operations, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement yesterday that the strike near Al Bab, Syria, was one in a series of strikes against the IS leaders, reports Xinhua.

"As we continue to gather momentum in our counter-ISIL campaign, we will continue to target ISIL leaders, relentlessly pursue its external plotters," said Cook.

Al-Adnani was known for his calls for lone-wolf attacks in the West and his call to intensify attacks this summer had so far resulted in one of the bloodiest months of Ramadan in decades.

Born in the north-western Syrian province of Idlib, Adnani was also among the first group of foreign fighters against US invasion in Iraq in 2003.