Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi:

“The death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a significant milestone on the path toward defeating ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Al-Baghdadi was a ruthless terrorist responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East and Europe, including Americans.

“I’d like to extend my congratulations and appreciation to our U.S. military forces who carried out this operation and to the men and women of our intelligence community who work tirelessly to defend our freedom and bring terrorists to justice.

“Al-Baghdadi’s death doesn’t mean the fight against ISIS is over, nor should it signal a retreat from Syria. ISIS has a worldwide network that will continue to seek to attack us, our allies and our interests. We should continue to pressure ISIS by reestablishing our alliance with Kurdish forces in Syria.

“The successful operation against al-Baghdadi is another reminder of the need for American leadership in resolving our greatest national security challenges.”

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