Islamic State commander linked to Paris attack killed in U.S. airstrike

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Islamic State commander Charaffe al-Mouadan -- believed to have communicated with the suspected mastermind behind the Nov. 13 Paris attacks -- was killed by a U.S.-led coalition airstrike.

Mouadan was killed on Dec. 24 in Syria, coalition forces announced Tuesday, BBC News reported. U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren said U.S. coalition airstrikes have killed 10 IS commanders in Iraq and Syria in the past month.

Authorities suspect he had direct contact with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who is accused of leading the attacks in Paris that killed at least 130 people. Abaaoud was killed in a police raid in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis last month.

Abdul Qader Hakim, another militant suspected of having connections with the Paris attackers, was killed two days later in Mosul, Iraq.

Warren said the U.S. military will continue to fight against threats by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, Daesh and ISIL.

"Over the past month we've killed 10 ISIL leadership figures with targeted air strikes, including several external attack planners, some of whom are linked to the Paris attacks," Warren said. "Others had designs on further attacking the West. As long as ISIL external attack planners are operating, the U.S. military will hunt them and kill them."