In targeting Abdelhamid Abaaoud in a raid, French authorities aimed to remove from Islamic State\u2019s ranks a prominent figure who they said blended his battlefield experience in Syria with a network of associates in Europe to mastermind one of the bloodiest terror attacks in French history.<\/p>\n
In Syria, the Belgian was a military commander, or \u201cemir of war,\u201d\u009d in eastern Deir Ezzour province, according to local activists and news reports, an unusually high rank for a fighter who hailed from Europe. Friends from his early life in Brussels, in the predominantly Muslim district of Molenbeek, recall a \u201cnice guy\u201d\u009d who played soccer.<\/p>\n
In Paris, officials say the 28-year-old militant assembled a potent arsenal that he planned to deploy against multiple additional targets\u201d\u201dincluding Paris\u2019 La Defense business district\u201d\u201dfollowing the attacks that investigators say he coordinated against a stadium, concert hall and other locales, killing 129 people.<\/p>\n