The Pentagon says U.S. commandos have mounted a rare raid in eastern Syria, killing the Islamic State commander in charge of oil... (Associated Press) 
 
 BEIRUT (AP) — U.S. commandos mounted a rare raid into eastern Syria overnight, killing a senior Islamic State commander in a firefight, capturing his wife and rescuing a Yazidi woman held as a slave, the Pentagon said Saturday. The ISIS commander, identified by his nom de guerre Abu Sayyaf, was killed in a heavy firefight after he resisted capture in the raid at al-Omar, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement. As the Special Operations Forces departed, they took Abu Sayyaf's wife, Umm Sayyaf, who is also considered to be an ISIS operative, into custody. "Through strikes in Iraq and Syria, the Kurdish offensive in northern Syria and military successes in Iraq, (ISIS) is desperate." American Delta Force commandos took off from northern Iraq in Blackhawk helicopters and Osprey aircraft, going deep into ISIS-controlled territory with no allies on the ground. The mission is the first known American commandos operation inside Syria outside of a failed attempt to rescue hostages held by ISIS last year. Twelve enemy fighters were killed in the operation, while no American forces were hurt, U.S. officials said. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Obama had authorized the raid "upon the unanimous recommendation of his national security team" and as soon as the United States was confident all the pieces were in place for the operation to succeed. A statement from the U.S. National Security Council said Abu Sayyaf was a "senior ISIL leader who, among other things, had a senior role in overseeing ISIL's illicit oil and gas operations -- a key source of revenue that enables the terrorist organization to carry out their brutal tactics and oppress thousands of innocent civilians." The United States is leading a coalition in a military campaign to roll back the jihadist group whose self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq has reshaped the region. Abu Sayyaf was a Tunisian citizen, a senior administration official said. In addition, Friday's operation "also led to the freeing of a young Yazidi woman who appears to have been held as a slave by the couple," the White House said. "We are also working to determine any information she may have regarding hostages — including American citizens who were held by (ISIS)," spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement. Weiss said he's skeptical the United States would risk lives to capture the head of ISIS's oil operations. The United States said it did not warn Assad in advance or coordinate with his officials over Friday's special forces raid. Airdrop, firefight 
 
 There is reason to believe that Abu Sayyaf may have been in contact with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, sources familiar with the operation told CNN. The preplanned operation near the eastern Syrian city of al-Amr was supposed to be a snatch-and-grab mission to capture Abu Sayyaf alive. Instead, he was killed amid an intense fire fight and hand-to-hand combat between ISIS militants and the Army Delta Force commandos. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group, said at least 19 ISIS militants had been killed by coalition bombing targeting ISIS' location in al-Omar oil field in eastern Deir Ezzor. Syrian state media earlier reported that Syrian government forces killed at least 40 IS fighters, including a senior commander in charge of oil fields, in an attack Saturday on the country's largest oil field -- held by IS. For weeks, unconfirmed reports have been circulating that al Baghdadi was seriously injured in an airstrike back in March in northern Iraq. JUST WATCHED Critical Iraqi city Ramadi under assault from ISIS Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Critical Iraqi city Ramadi under assault from ISIS 01:57 
 
 The Islamist extremist group captured the police headquarters, the Ramadi Great Mosque and even raised its trademark black flag over the provincial government building, sources said Friday. The ISIS push began Thursday, with armored bulldozers and at least 10 suicide bombings used to burst through gates and blast through walls in Ramadi, according to a security source who has since left the city.
– Last night, US Special Operations attempted to capture a senior ISIS commander and his wife in Syria. The rare raid didn't go as planned. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter today said that Abu Sayyaf fought back and was killed; the US troops involved were unharmed. They did manage to capture wife Umm Sayyaf, who is being held in Iraq. CNN notes that "Abu Sayyaf is not a name familiar to many ISIS watchers." Carter gave context: "Abu Sayyaf was involved in ISIL's military operations and helped direct the terrorist organization's illicit oil, gas, and financial operations as well." NBC News reports that a young Yazidi woman had apparently been enslaved by the couple; she was rescued. The raid, which took place in al-Amr, was carried out on orders of the president, which were given on the "unanimous recommendation" of his national security team. The AP notes this is only the second time troops have carried out a ground raid in Syria. A previous operation was aimed at rescuing James Foley and other Americans held hostage by the group.