h eld ▁Id lib ▁province ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁on ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Turkey ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁bra him ▁A wad ▁I bra him ▁Ali ▁al - Bad ri ▁al - S amar rai ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Ab ū ▁Bak r ▁al - Bag hd adi . ▁ ▁The ▁ra id ▁was ▁launched ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁C IA ▁intelligence ▁effort ▁that ▁located ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁IS IS . ▁ ▁This ▁complex ▁operations ▁was ▁conducted ▁during ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁U . S . ▁forces ▁n ortheast ▁Sy ria , ▁adding ▁to ▁the ▁complexity . ▁ ▁Several ▁senior ▁officials ▁commented ▁that ▁this ▁operation ▁was ▁only ▁possible ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁troops ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁allowing ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁intelligence ▁networks . ▁ ▁Any ▁further ▁reduction ▁in ▁tro op ▁presence ▁could ▁comprom ise ▁this ▁cap ability . ▁ ▁The ▁Sy rian ▁Democratic ▁Forces ▁and ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁military ▁also ▁support ▁the ▁operation . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁stated ▁they ▁de conf lic ted ▁with ▁Turkey , ▁but ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁support ▁the ▁operation . ▁ ▁Report ed ▁internal ▁conflict ▁between ▁S DF ▁fa ctions ▁▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Li wa ▁Th u war ▁al - R a qq a ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Trib al ▁Army ▁to ▁form ▁J ab hat ▁Th u war ▁al - R a qq a ▁to ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁S DF . ▁After ▁some ▁t ensions ▁between ▁the ▁group ▁and ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Prote ction ▁Units ▁( Y