general, who was abu sayyaf. >> abu sayyaf was the cfo for is irx is. he was responsible for all the oil and gas revenue and also creeping up in the organizational structure as having a very large command and control portfolio, as well. so this was a significant hit this morning. >> the white house, of course has said that we would not put boots on the ground in syria, it seems like we just did that. have we established a new precedent? >> oh, no. these boots were look let's not call them boots. these are special operators that went after a very high-value target eliminated the target and were able to come back safely with abu sayyaf's wife um sayyaf who is the deputy to her former husband. this was a high-risk, high-reward operation executed phenomenally. >> in other words, you're saying there could be great military significance. intelligence gathered from the wife. >> absolutely correct. the interrogation that will follow ing this is significant. that's kind of point number one. point number two, as a result of this raid special operators walked away

special forces carried out an overnight raid killing a top isis commander named abu sayyaf. as conducted by helicopter in the eastern city of deir ez-zur. sayyaf's wife was capture and is now being held. and a dozen others were also killed. joining me now is a former cia counterterrorism analyst and with a welcome to you, tell me why abu sayyaf's death is significant. >> he's significant because number one, he was actually trying to -- united states tried to capture him not kill him. if the united states just wanted him dead, they would have sent an f-16 over his compound and dropped a bomb on him. so we were trying to actually capture him because he was a person who had a lot of information on how isis maintains its oil and gas infrastructure. another thing that he could have provided information about was who is -- where are all these senior leaders includinging a baghdadi. so this was an incredibly important not very well-known individual, but he was a critical critical node within the organization itself. >> the fact that they have his wife, is she someone who is expected

defense department says abu sayyaf was targeted at the oil field and played an important role in raising funds for i.s.i.l. and smuggling i will and gas out of syria and iraq. >> reporter: the white house where are is telling al jazeera it was president obama that ordered the attack to capture and kill abu sayyaf. the elite delta force participating, located in iraq, going into syria, we understand there was ground or hand to hand combat that resulted in the death of abu sayyaf. and the capture of his wife umm say of. a young yazidis girl has been rescued and been reunited with her family. the united states pouring over reams of data collected in the operation. we are told that in fact there were computers and parred drives - hard discs, in fact and they are analysed in terms of trying to understand who abu sayyaf was. he was in charge of oil and gas. a major source of renew. the u.s. defending its actions saying that it worked with rocky authorities, pointing out that it did not consult authorities saying that the u.s. fews that the action contributing to the rise of i.s.i.l. and it can

abu sayyaf means the father of sayyaf and his wife who was captured. umm means the mother of sayyaf. u.s. will look to provide why this man was so important because they endured an enormous risk in going to get to him. we are told this was a capture mission, not a kill mission. had it been a kill mission they could have simply used a drone. they were after intelligence and the things he knew and the things his computers and phones perhaps had on them as well so complex indeed they decided to take this risk because they flew into one of the most dangerous parts of isis territory deep inside of syria. the oil field known to be a military isis base and had a perimeter around it of 3 to 5 millimeter around it. delta forces came on in. hand-to-hand fighting, bloody knuckles amongst those soldiers and an extraordinary fight for this man sayyaf who they thought they could capture alone. so a complex task. certainly for u.s. commandos here and one that leaves them with, they say, substantial intelligence how isis works and this detainee umm sayyaf. 19 fighters

raided an isis compound in eastern syria and an intense fire fight ensued and that's is when abu sayyaf was killed. he was killed fighting. an official tells me 12 other enemy fighters were also killed. i want to underscore the point you mentioned melissa no u.s. personnel killed in that raid. um sayyaf was captured. and held by a slave by the couple. i was told earlier um sayyaf may have been in a broader trafficking and in isis. abu sayyaf had a senior role in overseeing isis's oil and gas operations. oil and gas is a key source of revenue. and in a statement defense secretary ash carter said the operation represents another significant blow to isis and it is a reminder that the united states will never waver in denying safe haven to terrorists who threaten our citizens and friends and allies. the president is expressing his gratitude to the u.s. personnel who carried out the mission and iraqi authorities. they supported this mission. the next step, melissa u.s. forces are hoping the wife and other intel they may have collected from the raid will help them lead to other members of isi

that means the mother of sayyaf. so abu sayaff and umm sayyaf mean the mother of a child called sayyaf. is that she was intricately involved in human trafficking isis' day-to-day operations that's entirely feasible but it's rare. we don't normally see isis using women in their leadership. they don't seem that often to have a role in the day-to-day operations. women in the vision that isis have for society take a secondary role certainly and there are women who support them on social media, who travel to iraq and syria, to be with them to be in the kind of society they espouse. but unlike the syrian kurds where the women fight alongside the men. it's a much more chauchbvinistic society. it does potentially give rise to the notion that her capture was a lucky side effect for the u.s. of this raid rather than something they were planning on in the first place. but yes, the yazidi woman, one of hundreds if not thousands of yazidis abducted when isis moved into northern iraq she is now free and the u.s. say she will be reunited

isis commander abu sayyaf was killed in the raid but delta force was able to capture and lead with his wife umm sayyaf and another woman they rescued along with collected communication gear. let's bring in jomana karadsheh. we heard from the national security council and we have heard from the secretary of defense yesterday immediately after the announcement, but larger washington, what are we hearing about this mission? >> you're right, victor. >> reporter: the administration has be characterizing this kill as a significant. some are throwing cold water on the significance of this one man who the u.s. is calling abu sayyaf really is and there are a lot of questions about what exactly happened on this mission, including what his real name is. now, one of the top democrats in the house intel committee, representative adam shift, he says that we should be under no illusion that any one mission can have any long-term impact on isis. representative ed royce is on the house foreign and affairs committee and says what is the key how the u.s. uses that ring of data that they collected at the

is questioning abu sayyaf's wife umm.ll kinds of intelligence of isis including laptops and documents and cell phones. here's how it all went down. >> it was led by delta force who entered the area on black hawk helicopters and a rotator osprey. about two dozen got off the aircraft and the aircraft hovered overhead. they defended the multi-story building from inside and outside positions. but special forces were able to get close to the building and blow a hole inside. they went in encountered isis fighters and there was more gunfire and hand-to-hand combat. they used the women and children as human shields, but the u.s. managed to kill the fighters without hurting women and children. they took with them umm sayyaf. >> most lawmakers in the u.s. are praising the mission, which was authorized by president obama, but some are questioning is it worth the risk? that may be because we still don't know a lot about this so-called isis money man who officials say was the target. we don't even know his real name. abu sayyaf transl

abu sayyaf was his name, known to be a key associate of abu bakr al-baghdadi, the leader of isis. as david martin reports, this was a high-risk operation for the u.s. military which apparently yielded high rewards including the capture of sayyaf's wife. >> reporter: the delta force commandos went into syria aboard black hawk helicopters and tilt- rotor osprey aircraft. their target was a building where abu sayyaf lived with his wife and oversaw black market oil operations, a major source of isis income. one pentagon official called him the chief financial officer of isis. isis oil facilities have been frequent targets of the u.s.-led bombing campaign, but this time, the delta commandos intended to capture the man who ran the operation. a firefight broke out, and according to pentagon officials, some of the isis fighters attempted to use women and children as human shields. about a dozen enemy fighters were killed in fighting that sometimes involved hand-to-hand combat. pentagon officials said there were no reports of civilian casualties and no americans were killed or wounded, alth

the man killed was abu sayyaf and his wife umm sayyaf. going to join us again, and give us a picture of how high up this guy was? >> well, he was not that high up. he was not on a list. and look at it this way, for the first serious raid, they would have preferred to have grabbed somebody more important, and whether it was baghdadi or one of the lieutenants, but i think that the intelligence on the islamic state is still weak. we are still looking for targets, and they stay off of the air. i think it is good news that they did hit an isis target but on the other hand i am pretty sure at this point they would have wanted somebody more important, and higher up to say, hey, this stuff really works, and especially with the way things are going in ramadi we need a victory. >> and do you think that u.s. forces would have had to have had some help on the ground the know enough about this target to the feel confident going in that they could go in and execute and get out with everyone alive? >> i think that they are looking at these things with t

the delta force killed abu sayyaf when he resisted capture. nick payton walsh has more. >> not particularly well known in terms of isis leadership circles. a name who the united states says was behind the money, behind the oil and increasingly involved in military operations. we don't know his real name. abu sayyaf just means the father of sayyaf. his wife, umm sayyaf just means the mother of sayyaf. why this man was so important. they endured an enormous risk. this was a capture mission, not a kill mission. had it been a kill mission, they could have used a drone. they were after intelligence, the things he knew and things his computer and phone had on them. very complex indeed. they flew into one of the most dangerous parts of isis held territory. an isis military base, a three to five kilometers area around it. we spoke to them softening beforehand. delta forces came in hand-to-hand fighting, bloody knuckles along the soldiers. extraordinarily vicious fight for this man, who they hoped to find alive. a complex task, certainly for u.s. comma

general, who was abu sayyaf. >> abu sayyaf was the cfo for is i is.ping up in the organizational structure as having a very large

those around abu sayyaf and abu sayyaf himself engaged in a fire fight. it's said they tried to use women and children as human shields. everywhere was killed who engaged u.s. troops, know u.s. commandos were killed. an individual who was a target was tape out alive. and that -- taken out alive. that was the wife umm sayyaf and she was described as no innocent. ash carter put out a statement reading in part: allegations by u.s. officials, that a yazidi woman, the religious minority was located they were trapped on mt sinjar last year liberated in part due to u.s. coordinated air strikes. still persecuted and one individual held as a slave by this couple, abu and umm sayyaf. reaction in washington is, of course applauding the military rehabilitation but criticizing president obama for the recent gapes. in the last 48 hours or four days by i.s.i.l. in vital towns very close to the capital city of baghdad. ramadi now tape over partially by i.s.i.l. forces and the oil refinely at baigy and the town -- baiji also under siege by i.s.i.l. forces as they try to t

officials say commandos had to kill abu sayyaf when he resisted capture. af helped isis earn the title of the best resource terror organization in the world. last year alone, the group made nearly half a billion dollars. but where does the money come from? cnn's neme el baghar explains. >> reporter: trading, antiquities, oil, how much is isis myth making? they have believed to be the best resourced terror organization in the world, but after months of coalition air strikes, how isis's revenue streams really holding up? oil was their main source of funding. in the summer of 2014, isis made between $2 million and $3 million a day through the sale of smuggled oil. the major refineries have been high value targets for coalition strikes. and activists on the ground tell us isis is increasingly reliant on primitive refineries that are smaller and easier for them to run, like this one. sources inside iraq say their revenue from selling smuggled oil is now down from between $250,000 and $500,000. as the air strikes began late september, isis began diversifying into

abu sayyaf and his wife who is being called umm sayyaf was there.cording to a military official. that abu sayyaf did not agree to go peacefully. he was killed. his wife was captured. and yazidi woman which is a local ethnic group that isis has enslaved who was working as a slave for this family was freed in the rescue mission or in this capture mission i should say. and that there were -- was a gun battle and that 20 other armed insurgents security forces in the area were killed. so it's quite a daring operation to have u.s. special operations forces try to do a snatch and grab mission in the middle of isis country. they did seize some communications equipment. they seized some documents and other bits of intelligence from the home which the u.s. military believes can be useful in learning more about isis. it sends a strong message frankly. it sends a message that the u.s. isn't going to bomb from drones but that if necessary, or if the time and place of the u.s. choosing will go on the ground and try and grab people. it sends a strong message. >> w

you're right, the strike against abu sayyaf and umm sayyaf was a big gain.g to be a lot of intelligence value out of that. he was a financier, he was the amir of oil and gas and we're going to see quite a bit of intelligence reaping from some of the things that they found on the site. at least that's what my contacts are telling me right now. in terms of ramadi, what i would suggest is, this is going to continue to be a violent clash of two forces and a lot of exchanges of ground. i'm even going to make a prediction. first of all i don't think isis has gained control of ramadi. it's still a heavy duty fight going on there. i'm going to make a prediction we will see continued desperate fighting throughout the rest of this week and there are going to be additional gains and losses on both sides. >> that is a big prediction and we're going to watch this and talk with you about it after the weeks just to see -- just if there is this reversal. in the interim i want to ask about the value of abu sayyaf's wife. taking a wife. >> custody but didn't always yield a lo

how important is it that this guy, abu sayyaf is now dead? what information might the u.s. e umm sayyaf and how long would u.s. delta forces have trained for a daring operation like this one? >> well wolf let me start from back to first there. so delta force has been doing this over 35 years now. as you know it was stood up with the iran incident for our hostages in iran. since 9/11 these type of operations have been going on throughout the middle east. both at the joint special operations command has been returning. what delta has done and joint special operations command especially in iraq. we were in iraq and the senator said it right. when we were there, we had home field advantage. we would run these operations and conduct 12 15 operations a night, and start coming back on the helicopters just at dawn. now that we've lost that home field advantage, now we have to do these long-range hits. for his wife i believe we're going to glean some information from her, at least -- no. who are the people he's been around? maybe moving patterns. who are other people what operations

>> i agree with everything julie said but a bit of stature inflation for abu sayyaf. the idea he he was the chief financial officer of isis i wrote a book on these guys most of the analysts that study isis a lot of people inside isis either hadn't heard of him or heard of him but thought of him as a marginal or mid-level commander. the minister of the minister of finance is called abu salah. if he's the minister of finance, how does this guy become the cfo? i think the act pekt to focus on apart -- aspect to focus on apart from the idea of black population, that's how we have to play it against isis because they played against us in a direct fashion. the real value, i'm told and it's been reported by abc news as well as my colleague at "the daily beast," this guy played an integral role in the capture of hostages particularly kayla mueller, confirmed killed by isis. there's an emotional payback element of this too. the president authorized this mission. he wanted to capture abu sayyaf alive, bring him back to the united states and probably have him stand trial, sort o

tell us about this man, abu sayyaf. who is he how critical is he. >> reporter: i have to tell you poppy, information is sketchy. he is not broadly known to those who follow isis in the media, in the academic world, but clearly someone that u.s. intelligence and the u.s. military had known about and were tracking for some time. i think a lot more is likely to come to light. we can't assume we know everything at this hour. but officials familiar with the raid in syria have told cnn that he was for some time essentially the oil and gas emir the head of isis' oil and gas operations which had in the past been vital to them raising money. but recently had become something much more than that something very troubling. he had taken on an increasing role in isis operations planning commanding control and critical information here. the u.s. believes he may well have had some kind of communication with abu bakr al baghdadi, the leader of isis. so you put this whole intelligence picture together plus his wife and her knowledge pote

his name was abu sayyaf. he was not only a top isis military commander but he also controlled the terror organization's financial operations. so he was kind of the money man. he controlled the money flow for isis. so this raid and killing him, taking him out could really significantly impact isis' financial operation and of course as i said the money flow. what we know about the raid and this was a really intense fight. it happened last night, according to u.s. officials, when the u.s. army delta force were air-dropped deep into isis territory in eastern syria near an area near the al-omar oil fields controlled by isis. they got into a firefight with isis militants, including abu sayyaf. they killed him, they captured his wife umm, and also what we're hearing at this point is that there was hand-to-hand combat between those delta force commandos and isis militants. we are hearing at least a dozen isis militants were killed and those commandos, along with capturing umm, the guy's wife they also rescued a young

capture and interrogate abu sayyaf. former special forces officer. >> this is not just another person. >> reporter: counterterrorism official tells abc news sayyaf is believed to be the isis leader to be given american hostage kay j la mueller as a forced bride or slave. the question on many minds after thousands of air strikes on isis targets why risk a dangerous ground operation. >> we wanted to capture him, no question about that. he could have given a lot of information about their whole financial structure. >> reporter: but fate would have otherwise. a fierce fire fight. defending the building using women and children as human shields, the pentagon said. >> it happens in close quarter battles. they'll duck under their rifle. >> reporter: abu sayyaf killed in the fire jchbfight. his wife captured. all american personnel returned safely after scooping up laptop computers that could prove to be an intelligence wind fall isis has been making gains in recent weeks in recent. it sends a unmistakable message to isis leader

abu sayyaf killed in the fire fight ray long with dozen isis fighters.aptive or questioning. all american personnel returned safely after snatching up laptops that could be a huge win fall. >> it should have an impact on isis that we can go do raise and take out their leaders anytime we wanted to it. >> reporter: isis made gains on the battlefield in syria but it won't reverse the gains but it may make isis leaders salim a little less -- sleep a little less at night. >> the unofficial summer business at the shore. take a look at the new video of frames shooting from the 7th street surf shoch. nobody was injured we don't know what caused the blaze. >>> we're hearing from the gambler robbed after leaving the sugarhouse casino. he is talking about the face-to-face encounter. vernon odem talked to him. >> reporter: the south philadelphia man took a taxi home from the sugarhouse casino with his overnight earnings which police say totaled $1,000. the moment he was dropped off a masked gunman appeared. >> put on the ground or i will kill you. >> i put my hands

here. >> and we are interested to know what you have been told by other defense officials, what abu sayyaf is, because it is not a name like abu bakr al baghdadi but he is one of the top money men. >> well, he is not one of the top four leaders that the coalition is after but he is one of the people who keeps the trains and the trucks running literally by keeping the soldiers paid, and the electricity and the water in on the various areas that isis controls. so that sis the person that you want to go after if you are looking for intelligence as to where the network is and how it operates. i understand from senior administration officials that is one of the main selling points to president obama when they met with him, and said that we unanimously recommend this, because even if we don't get him, he may die in the process, and we know that there is a lot of electronic information there on the laptops ash and the e cell phones that will help us to track down possibly everyone all of the way up to baghdadi himself, the head of isis. >> you have said that in temperatures of how he helped to fi

plus the latest details on the raid that called abu sayyaf.>> good morning, america. ♪ ♪ ♪ it took tim morehouse years to master the perfect lunge. but only one attempt to master depositing checks at chase atms. technology designed for you. so you can easily master the way you bank. >> announcer: starting right now on abc's "this week," breaking news. a daring raid by the elite delta force deep inside syria that just killed a key isis leader, can his captured wife reveal crucial information? >>> mystery on the tracks. the fbi now investigating. did a projectile hit the doomed amtrak train moments before it crashed. >>> sentenced to die. why dzhokhar tsarnaev could spend decades behind bars despite that dramatic death penalty ruling. >>> plus, 2016 surprises. republicans turning on jeb bush's iraq misstep, democrats piling on president obama on trade. senators mitch mcconnell and dianne

abu sayyaf killed in the fire fight along with a dozen isis fighters. his wife captured and held for questioning. they snatched up laptops and other information which would be a huge win fall for the u.s. isis has been making gains on the battle fields in iraq and syria in recent weeks the raise won't reverse the gains but might make isis leaders sleep a little less easy at night. terry moran abc news london. >>> here at home, fire has damaged a business on the ocean city boardwalk a week before memorial day. take a look at the video of flames and smoke shooting from the 7th street surf shop. crews managed to get it under control in a half-hour. nobody was injured. we don't know what caused the blaze. >>> we're hearing from the gamblers robbed after leaving the sugarhouse casino. he is talking about the face-to-face encounter he had with the gunman. vernon odem talked to the gamblers whose luck almost ran out. >> reporter: the south philadelphia man took a taxi home from the sugarhouse casino with his earnings which totaled almost $12,000. the moment he

commandos left unharmed taking with them abu sayyaf's wife. u.s.icials a little she helped manage hostages taken by isis. the raid was bold and risky. it could yield intelligence. but it's unlikely to change the overall battle. >> this operation sent a very clear message to isis that even a safe haven aren't completely safe that u.s. forces will go anywhere. that woman, the wife now in u.s. custody, i'm told she is talking. richard engel, nbc news istanbul. >>> right now hundreds of people stranded in the mountains of nepal. a massive 7.3 aftershock hit the region on tuesday killing more than 100 people. what you're looking at is video showing folks crowding around the helicopter trying to get on board. hundreds living in tents near the border of china. >> an officer recovered after being hurt on the job. we're working to find out why a d.c. ambulance was not available to transport that officer. he was hur on the job yesterday but had to be transported to the hospital by a prince george's county ambulance. police tell us the officer hurt his knee w

isis commander abu sayyaf was killed in the raid but delta force was able to capture and leave with hisyaf an unidentified yaz zeaddy woman they collected along with communication gear. >> thanks to victor blackwell there. in washington most lawmakers are praising the mission authorized by president obama but some are asking if it was worth the risk. that may be because we still don't know a lot about this so-called isis money man who officials say was the target. we don't even know his own name abu sayyaf translates to "father of the swordsman," an assumed name. i am joined with more on this. lawmakers, some of them are kind of using their words very carefully. how are they couching their concerns about the risk versus the reward of the mission? >> fred some on capitol hill are splashing a little bit of cold water on the significance of this mission when it comes to weighing the risks, and weighing that against the reward of this mission, ploengsly any intelligence learned from those materiels captured on the ground and how big abu sayyaf is within the isis community. here is what the

nick, what do we know about this commander who is known as abu sayyaf? >> very little, frankly, until the news was broken yesterday of his death in that raid. this is a man who was said to at one point be running the lucrative oil industry that isis had in northern iraq-s said to have been a key man in terms of the shipment of money around and potentially increasingly involved in military operations. we really only have the u.s.'s word for that, and we don't have, for example, many of the key isis experts we normally talk to knowing much about this man as all. some say he was often an associate of the isis spokesman, mohammed al adnani, one offering a name that's not confirmed independently. he was caught in the building with his wife and killed as he resisted. you have to bear in mind, it was an extraordinarily high-risk move. twenty delta forces at the white house order breaking through two defensive lines a multi-story building, fist fights and blood on the knuckles, barbara starr, reported yesterday of some of the commanders. a move that could have g

abu sayyaf killed in the combat along with a dozen isis fighters. his iraqi-born wife captured and held for questioning. 18-year-old yezidi woman reportedly freed. all american personnel returning safely, after seizing laptops possibly containing intelligence about the terrorist group. this raid comes as isis is advancing on other fronts, especially in the key iraqi city of ramadi. but what happened to abu sayyaf sends a clear message to all isis leaders, there's no safe place for you. >> terry, thank you. >>> and back home as fbi forensic experts analyze whether a flying object hit the amtrak train that derailed in a deadly track. new audio tapeses emerging as to what might have happened. abc news' philip mena joins us with the very latest. >> reporter: forcing amtrak to install speed control technology at the crash site. the same technology they say could have prevented this. this morning, ntsb collecting ed from the derailed amtrak train, attempting to answer the question, could this damage to the windshield somehow played a role in the crash? >>

francine: how much do we know about abu sayyaf? this wasn't his real name.w that he was, according to u.s. spokespeople someone that was really directing, almost like a finance minister of what islamic state likes to call its caliphate. we know that the islamic state very much relies on things like oil sales and ransoms to help operate the territories where it now holds sway. they are very much hoping that the killing of abu sayyaf will in some way disrupt islamic state in order to give them a window into how it operates and make them better able to disrupt the advances that it has been making the most notable among them, the taking of the biggest city in iraq's biggest province over the weekend. francine: thank you so much, elliott gotkine. still to come, we talked ethical investing. some funds are ditching companies that contribute to climate change. we will bring you the details after the break. just a reminder, you can follow us on twitter. guy johnson is off today but he is on twitter. the question of the day focuses on the u.k. we found out that george

abu sayyaf, his nickname meaning "father of sayyaf." we don't know who sayyaf is. presumably his son but we don't know how old or what he does. we seem confused where he comes from. the united states seems to think he's tunisian, but we have had reports out of the region saying he's from mosul and before that saudi arabia. >> sreenivasan: one of the interesting things i found is this is the first time i heard about u.s. troops on the ground in syria, and they were launched from iraq. >> that's right. so this is the first time that we know of that u.s. special forces have gone into syria with the intent of killing or capturing enemy combatant. we know that there was the attempted raid to rescue hostages, such as james foley before. this is the first time they've gone forward to conduct combat and try to kill and capture people. and it was launched from. in the past iraq has been very circumspect about allowing attacks to be launched outside its borders into another country. evidently, the existence of the islamic state has changed their mind on that point. >> sreeni

raid in syria that killed a top isis commander overnight. >> the army's elite delta force took out abu sayyafscrambled at the time. they were using women and children as human shields. >> disgusting. elizabeth prann joins us now. good morning. >> abu say yad was not a household name before yesterday, was a former leader controlling oil and financing for isis. at times hand-to-hand combat was used and people were being used as human shields. that includes women and children. his wife was captured. she's being held for questioning. she's known to be a member of isis and participates in terror activities. fighting at times was pretty intense. helicopters and aircraft have been left damaged. many military experts say they are pleased to see the raids, saying it not only provides intel for the military but it also disrupts the internal leadership structure for isis. the raid sends a clear message. >> isis can no longer consider they have a secure rear area. they are pushing forward in ramadi but all of a sudden they have got people attacking their senior leaders in syria. i think this is very sign

and that was abu sayyaf. isis' top financier their oil and gas man, who if head would have been captured alive would have been able to provide them with endless intelligence valuable intelligence presumably, but in the fire fight, intense fire fight in which we're told there was hand-to-hand combat, and one of the delta force commandos had to kill his attacker with his bare hands, that's the kind of fight that was going on inside that building. when they got to the room where abu sayyaf was located, he had a gun or went for a gun, and the commandos were forced to shoot him, regrettably according to the officials. they still have his wife in custody, but she will be turned over for iraqis at some point. now, again where they think they failed in this manages is they didn't grab their target alive but nevertheless all escaped none of the americans wounded or killed. even on the way out their helicopters took some heavy fire, but to no avail as far as isis was concerned. >> jim miklaszewski, thanks for that. >>>

not much is known about abu sayyaf sayyaf, he's considered a top isis money man who managed isis' oil and gas income and he was personally close to the isis leader abu al baghdadi. but isis is celebrating a major victory in iraq which may be a bigger problem here. joining us now from london, chief global correspondent bill neely. what's the significance of the fall of ramadi? >> yes, good morning mika. i think the news from ramadi is somewhat trumps that from syria. ramadi is a disaster in three parts. there is the defeat of iraq security forces itself and the fact that another provincial capital is now in isis hands. secondly it's the manner of the defeat. iraq security forces proving once again how utterly incompetent they can be. by all accounts, their retreat from are a maddeddy was complete chaos. but third, the consequences of this, not just that isis now has the momentum that it has weapons and that it's now 70 miles or closer from baghdad. but also the prospect that she a militia, some iranian backed, are now the only solution toa militia, some iranian backed, are now the only

officials say the americans target abu sayyaf was a money man. he managed the oil and gas income and was personally close to the isis leader, al baghdadi. >> the fact that the united states was willing to mount a capture mission to grab him shows he was a really important person in the infrastructure itself. >> reporter: the target did not go quietly. there was a gunfight, even hand-to-hand fighting. abu sayyaf was killed along with other fighters. >> if you take out the money man, it can dent the organization's capability to do things. >> reporter: the u.s. commandos left under fire, but unharmed taking with them abu's wife umm sayyaf. they freed a yazidi woman held by the couple as a slave. it was a bold a risky operation, and could yield intelligence. but it is unlikely to change the course of the war on isis. this week, the group attacked the center of the iraqi city of ramadi with car bombs and took control of a government compound. isis is fighting its way into the historic syrian city threatening to destroy it the way it has other historic

i mean one of the targets died this abu sayyaf. supposely in charge of lydly in charge of selling oil and gas on the black market. there are others in charge of doing that. they've taken his wife. we don't know what her real name is. abu sayyaf isn't his real name right? >> right. >> they are getting set to interrogate her. will she be willing to impart information? >> she eventually will be willing. one thing i say is if someone has never been in a firefight before and then we find this with people that we interview is that once they go through something like that they are already somewhat broken down especially when there's been tragedy around them and someone has gotten shot that they were with. you take them out of the battlefield and put them into a situation they never have been into that you're handling. we're not talking about using torture on people. we're talking about interrogation and interviewing. you can fluctuate the whole system they're in whatever is most effective in in order toorder to get information out of them

commandos left unharmed taking with them abu sayyaf's wife known as umm sayyaf. u.s.icials alem she helped manage hostages taken by isis. this operation is unlikely to change the course of the overall war against isis but it does send a very strong message to the group that even its safe havens respect entirely safe. back to you. >> richard engel for us this morning. richard, thank you. >>> chuck todd is moderator of "meet the press" and joins us from washington. chuck, good morning. >> good morning, erica. >> so we see this sort of mixed bag when you look at the battle against isis this week. so we have all the details that richard just gave us of course on this successful raid in syria but then at the same time the key iraqi city of ramadi fell privately. how is the obama administration characterizing this fight against isis? >> well look it is -- it is i think in this case they would like to say it is two steps forward and one step back in this case. look the importance of the raid as richard points out, is the fact they were able to do something successfully in sy

officials abu sayyaf say was a known associate of the group's leader. his wife was captured and being questioned. >>> pope francis canonized two 19th century nuns who lived in palestine. the canonization tombs at the vatican. palestinian president and 2,000 christians were there in support. the ceremony comes a few days after the vatican formally recognized palestinian state hood florida treaty. >>> a new skin care treatment has got people talking the main ingredient, chicken soup. you can try it out for yourself. >>> star wars fans in london we'll take you to a exhibit that's recreating the film's most iconic scenes. >>> chris sowers has the exclusive accuweather seven-day forecast including what it looks like for memorial day weekend when "action news" continues. >> when twom -- two women at columbia university introduced themselves in the first day of writing class. they found out they had a lot more in question. they were asking each other routine questions what's your major and where you from. katie was suspicious, she had been searching for her lo

it's not just abu sayyaf that we're focused on.when means they were in some sort of meeting. one was a deputy war minister. the kind of information you're going to get from abu sayyaf includes who is smuggling out the black market and who they are doing business with. if the u.s. follows this up and really punishes e those individuals, it could either do significant damage to isis's ability to sell oil or could also raise the cost for isis of doing this such that they aren't able to get the same kind of money they are used to. >> follow the money and often you wind up getting where you want to be. general, play on the irony that it will be a woman, the wife here that isis is so intent on degrading and demeaning their position but the wife may wind up being the key to the intel. tell us about that. >> i think she probably will be. the fact that abu sayyaf is gone is probably good news but what the special operators were able to take out is significant intelligence that's going to lead to what revenue channels are that allows isis to

special ops forces raid that took out abu sayyaf. force commandos conducted the raid in an intensifier fight that killed sayyaf and about 12 other isis fighters. the mission was only the second known ground operation ever to take place in syria. this was senator dianne feinstein's assessment of the raid's results. >> this was i think a picture perfect raid. everything went according to plan. but the demise of the principal obviously took place when the aim was to capture. >> joining me now msnbc military analyst he colonel jack jacobs. with a welcome to you as always. explain why this mission is being hailed as a success despite the fact that sayyaf was killed. >> we wanted to get him to be sure, but we mostly wanted to get his information. his computers, all the information about the oil flows, cash flows, banking information. it would have been nice to be able to interrogate him but getting the information was the most important thing and that's why we conducted a raid to try to get him and the information rather than flying a drone

two days after the death of a senior leader, abu sayyaf.t during a raid by u.s. commando in syria. he was believed to be one of i.s.i.l.'s top tonned raisers. he was in charge of selling oil and gas on the black market. commanders took his wife into custody and seized documents. the operation could yield a lot of significant information. >> the real value here is taking a guy off the battlefield who is incredibly important to the organization to funding it to running it. close to the senior leadership to abu bakr al-baghdadi. taking him off the field. very important. it would have been great to take him alive. his wife worked closely and will be able to tell us allot >>> i.s.i.l. lost a quarter of territory it controlled in iraq. joining us to discuss the fall of ramadi is mark lyons, an al jazeera security contributor, thank you for joining us. abu sayyaf was killed in a u.s. trade. then we learnt that i.s.i.l. has taken control. they are saying that it's too early to tell. are you buying that? >> no i'm not. commanders expect losses and s

also abu sayyaf's wife also captured in under u.s.ht now and is being questioned and she is said to be involved in the human trafficking operations that isis has been involve ared in including sex slavery. those u.s. commandos also were able to capture, they were able to rescue a young yisidi woman enslaved by these people the sayyafs. the command others got out unscathed. a dangerous and risk operation but a success. the critical fight continues in ramadi and remains a very dire situation there. so basically, kelly, we're waiting to see when this ground offensive is going to be launched by the iraqi military forces and will they gain and take back any ground from isis there? kelly? >> thank you. keep us updated. john hutty. >> reporter: will do. >>> malt pell people reporting some kind of object hit their train in the same general time and area as the amtrak train that derailed tuesday. the fbi is involve ared and checking damp to the windshield of the amtrak train as you can see there. the crash killed eight people and injured more

president obama ordered last night's raid abu sayyaf was killed in a firefoot with special operations forces heavily was responsible for the terrorist group's oil and gas operations, key source of financing. >> this is the one who creates the revenue so they can conduct these operations and this amazing marketing arm. this is all now hopefully at risk because of this operation. >> sayyaf's wife was captured and is being questioned by top u.s. security officials about isis operations. >>> new details in that deadly train derailment in philadelphia. federal officials now want amtrak to immediately expand use of a speed restriction system in the area of the crash that killed eight people. today's announcement involves the automatic train control system. it notifies the engineer when a train is above the speed limit. the system automatically applies brakes if the engineer doesn't responsible. the fbi is now looking into whether the train's windshield may have been hit by an object before it derailed. >> reporter: this is the latest mystery in the derail. of amtrak train 188. a circular sh