Boy fell into a well. The United States says it did everything it could to minimise civilian casualties during a raid in syria in which the leader of the Islamic State group was killed. The president said that Abu Ibrahim Al qurayshi, also known as Hajji Abdullah, blew himself up, along with four members of his family, as us specialforces approached the building. 13 people, including children, were killed, but no us casualties were reported. The bbc� S State Department correspondent Barbara Plett usher reports. In a corner of Northwest Syria where a forgotten conflict simmers, america reminded the Islamic State group that its leaders were still a target. The raid took place in the dead of night and lasted two hours. Us Special Forces landed in helicopters near the home of the is leader, Hajji Abdullah. Those close by described a night of terror. Translation when we got out of the house, we saw aircraft flying over our heads. And after ten minutes, we heard them shouting, give yourself up, the house is surrounded. Some civilians living in the same building were safely evacuated but women and children were among the dead. Us officials blamed the militants they said Hajji Abdullah blew himself up, killing his family in the blast, and that his deputy barricaded himself on the second floor with his wife both died in a gunfight. Us forces were expecting the suicide bombing. Its happened before when a militant leader is cornered. As our troops approached to capture the terrorist, in a final act of desperate cowardice, with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself up notjust with a vest, but to blow up that third floor rather than face justice for the crimes hes committed, taking several members of his family with him, just as his predecessor did. President biden monitored the raid from the Situation Room like former president s targeting formerjihadist leaders getting reports in real time from his top military officials. Hajji abdullah took over the Islamic State group after its previous leader died in a us raid. Hed kept an extremely low profile, but was accused of coordinating global terrorist operations. His death is a blow to the group which had been trying to make a comeback in syria and iraq. The only american casualty was a helicopter. Us forces destroyed it before leaving the area they said it had mechanical issues. But, otherwise, theyre claiming this Operation A Victory In The Forever War Against Islamist extremism. Barbara plett usher, bbc news, washington. We can now speak to one of americas leading authorities on isis, colin p clarke, who works as a Counter Terrorism analyst at the soufan group. Thank you so much forjoining us. I would be very curious for your thoughts on how you see this particular targeted strike against be leader of is . Thanks for having against be leader of is . Thanks for having me. Against be leader of is . Thanks for having me. An against be leader of is . Thanks for having me. An important. For having me. An important strike on the part of the United States. Hajji abdullah was one of the top, most wanted terrorist in the world. But i would also caution against what the impact is going to be. I have been speaking about the sorbet, one of my messages is, it is a tactical win but it is not a strategic story, so we have to take it for what it is worth. It is important, but we have to keep in perspective. This is a long fight against a really capable, both operationally and organisationally, terrorist group. Organisationally, terrorist urou. , organisationally, terrorist rou,. , organisationally, terrorist urou. ,. , group. You say capable. I would be really curious group. You say capable. I would be really curious also group. You say capable. I would be really curious also for group. You say capable. I would be really curious also for how i be really curious also for how you understand the state or the power of isis now, because they did disappearfrom power of isis now, because they did disappear from the power of isis now, because they did disappearfrom the headline somewhat in recent months . Well, isis core has disappeared from the headlines but there has been a steady uptake in attacks and operational tempo from isis affiliate in sub saharan africa, including in the Democratic Republic Of Congo and mozambique. There has been activity throughout the sahel in west africa. And of course we cant forget Islamic State khorasan afghanistan, the deadly attack against the Kabul Airport this summer, and the insurgency it is waging against the taliban. This is a global affiliate, to have disappeared from the headlines, but up until last week with the prison break and now the announcement of the death of the groups leader. I of the death of the groups leader. U, � of the death of the groups leader. U, � , of the death of the groups leader. � , , leader. I cant help, my eyes no leader. I cant help, my eyes 90 towards leader. I cant help, my eyes go towards the leader. I cant help, my eyes go towards the book leader. I cant help, my eyes go towards the book after i leader. I cant help, my eyes| go towards the book after the caliphate behind you. Do you think those all aspects of a caliphate, that is what we first began to know is four, they were trying to create this state, there were lots of consequences for that, people involved in it at the time. Do you think that part of is is over . Is it a different area we are in now . I over . Is it a different area we are in now . Are in now . I do, i really do. You know. Are in now . I do, i really do. You know. I are in now . I do, i really do. You know, i dont are in now . I do, i really do. You know, i dont see are in now . I do, i really do. You know, i dont see it you know, i dont see it anywhere on the cards, for this group to reconstitute a large swathes of territory. Bits and pieces here and there, small towns and villages as the groups power ebbs and flows. But, you know, the anti daesh or anti is coalition has achieved some major objectives and it is going to stay that way. That is in the middle east. We could see swathes of territory swallowed up in other parts of the world but the key is going to be Quick Reaction and targeted strikes like so with the us carrying out the groups top tier leadership. That is in syria, of course, and as we know they may be Somebody Else who takes his place in short order. You know, he reminded me of afghanistan there and of course but attack that took base, we often focus our attention on the taliban that took over in august, but what is that power but are like within the country when it comes to Islamic State, and their rivals, in some respects, their rivals, in some respects, the taliban . Power battle. Rivals in every respect. Islamist state in khorasan is waging an insurgency against the taliban, based out of the af pak border area. But i will say about the death of Hajji Abdullah could be really significant for how the affiliate � s behaviour going forward. A lot of this is unknown, but we do think that there was communication and Co Ordination between what we would call isis core or isis central and their affiliates in other parts of the world, including a gonna stand for suburb there is no communication for a time, that could very well affect the objectives and trajectories of isk in afghanistan. We will have to wait and see. We will, but this is have to wait and see. We will, but this is one have to wait and see. We will, but this is one point have to wait and see. We will, but this is one point in have to wait and see. We will, but this is one point in the but this is one point in the Biden Administration, perhaps in a row we havent so much seen mr biden in before. Role. What do you think he needs to do next, if he is to fend off some of those threats you have outlined . I fend off some of those threats you have outlined . You have outlined . I think he needs to you have outlined . I think he needs to continue you have outlined . I think he needs to continue a you have outlined . I think he needs to continue a string i you have outlined . I think he needs to continue a string of| needs to continue a string of victories here. You know, these are tactical versus not going to supplant a broader counterterrorism strategy, but the United States isjuggling a lot at once. Internationally there is the Russia Ukraine issue, at home, covid. It will be keen not to get distracted and to make sure that there is bandwidth to deal with counterterrorism. You know, in the us right now, especially in washington, dc and the beltway, all the talk is about great power competition, china, russia, etc. At our enemies get a vote to, and the Islamic State may be humbled, but it is far from state may be humbled, but it is farfrom being defeated. But our enemies. The Winter Olympics are getting underway in beijing, with the Opening Ceremony in a few hours time. Almost 3,000 athletes from 91 nations will compete across seven sports. But the run up to the games has been fraught with controversy. Many countries have announced a diplomatic boycott of the event, citing Human Rights Abuses in china. Added to that, cases of Coronavirus Have Bbeen found inside beijings olympic bubble. Our china correspondent robin brant has the very latest. She is one of chinas olympians of tomorrow maybe. She hadnt even been born the first time the olympics came to town. But now, the six year old skater is inspired by the games. Translation its very exhausting, but she presses on. She wont leave until shes learned how to do all the moves. She doesnt quit. She cant go to any of the events, though. She cant get close. The Winter Olympics is happening in beijing, but almost everyone here is excluded from it. Translation its sad we cant go to see the games in person. J well have to watch them on tv. China is in the middle of a renewed battle to try to maintain zero covid in this country, and its decided not to sell any tickets for the games to members of the general public, so everyone who queues outside venues like this in the weeks ahead is going to be hand picked a member of the ruling communist party, or someone who works at a government controlled company. Its Notjust Covid measures keeping people away. Theres confrontation over chinas human rights record. Senior officials from the us, the uk, and more than a dozen other governments arent coming to the ice rinks. The olympics is just sport, though, say some looking on. Translation | think sports | are sports, and they shouldnt be messed with politics. The games belong to everyone, and we should all participate and watch. Politics is just politics. This is the official slogan of the games. And these children are singing about it in this propaganda video, released last month by the government in xinjiang, a place where china denies its committed genocide. A former olympian whos close to americas athletes this time told me why some of them are nervous about sharing this moment. I had one athlete tell me that theyve had nothing in the lead up to these olympics theyve had not a single team meeting about sport and about their athletic performance. Every meeting theyve had has been either about Covid Protocols or about safety athlete safety, personal safety in beijing. I dont think a single athlete is going to speak out at the games and nor do i think they should. If i were there i would be keeping my mouth shut because the risk is just too great. And this is really a failure of the International Olympic committee. Its a failure of leadership that athletes are in this position. In many ways, this looks like a normal olympic games. There are updated rules in place to allow the athletes to express their concerns away from the tracks, slopes, rinks and podiums. But what is always a cold gathering feels much more frosty this time round. This is a games defined by the big fissure on the world stage, with china on one side and the us and others on the other. And inside the bubble, athletes trying to get on with their sport. Robin brant, bbc news, beijing. Lets turn to the ukraine crisis, and an american claim that russia is planning to stage fake events to justify taking military action. Heres pentagon Spokesman John Kirby outlining the plot. One option is the russian government, we think, is planning to stage a fake attack by Ukrainian Military or Intelligence Forces against russian sovereign territory, or against russian speaking people to therefore justify their action. As part of this fake attack, we believe that russia would produce a very graphic propaganda video, which would include corpses and actors that would be depicting mourners, and images of destroyed locations as well as Military Equipment at the hands of ukraine or the west even to the point where some of this equipment would be made to look like it was western supplied to ukraine equipment. Russia says it is not planning any false flag operations and has previously dismissed all suggestions that its planning any military action. Meanwhile, the us started making good on its promise to deploy additional troops to europe. These are some of the 2,000 soldiers wholl be heading to germany and poland, with others already in germany heading to romania. And in europe, there has been another flurry of diplomatic visits to kyiv and moscow. Turkeys leader, president erdogan, was the guest of ukraines president zelensky. The Turkish Leader said his country would remain neutral, but offered to mediate with russia. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin hosted the president of argentina. Moscow insists they have no plans to invade ukraine, and the build up of Russian Forces is nothing more than military exercises. Stay with us on bbc news. Still to come, spectacle and spice sci fi epic dune racks up the nominations ahead of the british bafta awards. This is the moment that millions in iran have been waiting for. After his long years in exile, the first hesitant steps of Ayatollah Khomeini on iranian soil. South africas white government has offered its black opponents concessions unparalleled in the history of apartheid, and the anc leader Nelson Mandela is to be set free unconditionally. Mission control three, two, one. A countdown to a critical moment the worlds most powerful rocket ignited all 27 of its engines at once. And apart from its power, its this recycling of the rocket, slashing the cost of a launch, that makes this a breakthrough in the business of space travel. Two americans have become the first humans to walk in space without any lifeline to their spaceship. One of them called it a piece of cake. Thousands of people have given l the yachtswoman Ellen Macarthur a spectacular homecoming in the cornish port of falmouth after she smashed the world record. For sailing solo around the world, non stop. This is bbc news. The latest headlines President Biden gives details of how the head of the Islamic State group was killed during a raid by Us Special Forces in syria. Let the games begin the Opening Ceremony for beijings Winter Olympics takes place on friday amid excitement and controversy. Now to events in britain, where Downing Street is in turmoilfollowing the resignation of four senior aides to borisjohnson. Policy head munira mirza quit over the Prime Ministers false claim that the leader of the opposition was personally responsible for the failure to prosecute notorious paedophilejimmy savile, when he was director of public prosecutions. Her departure was followed by three other aides. Our political editor, laura kuensseberg, reports. Applause. Borisjohnson managed to keep a blackpool tram on track today. Yet its not clear tonight where his leadership is really going. That went well, thank god for that, the Prime Minister said. He might need prayers to create a sense of stability in his government, though. The communications director, jack doyle, walked out of his job tonight. A major role in any number 10, but the message had gone badly wrong. The chief of staff, dan rosenfield, who was brought in to create order, is on his bike and going too. The third exit, martin reynolds, the Prime Ministers senior civil servant, who invited around 100 people to a garden party. And the explosive fourth exit, his friend and political confidant of more than ten years, munira mirza. Chief of ideas, boriss brain, one former colleague told me. She has notjust gone, but has left dynamite in herwake slamming the Prime Ministers comments linking the leader of the opposition to jimmy savile early this week. She wrote. This is what hed managed to say. Im talking not about the leader of the opposition� s personal record when he was dpp. A