US Airstrikes Target ISIS Operatives and Other Terrorists in Syria
The recent CENTCOM strikes were carried out a few days before the State Department announced the conclusion of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. military reported that it killed 37 members of terrorist groups, including leaders associated with ISIS and Al Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din in Syria.
CENTCOM conducted the strikes on September 16 and 24 in the Middle East and confirmed the strikes on September 29.
In the September 24 strike in northwest Syria, the U.S. military claimed to have killed senior Hurras al-Din leader Marwan Bassam Abd-al-Ra‘uf and eight other terrorists. Abd-al-Ra’uf was responsible for overseeing military operations from Syria.
The September 16 large-scale strike in central Syria targeted at least four senior ISIS leaders and 24 other ISIS terrorists.
According to CENTCOM, the airstrike aimed to disrupt ISIS’ ability to carry out operations against U.S. interests and allies.
In a statement, CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla emphasized that the strikes demonstrate a commitment to defeating terrorist organizations in the region and supporting stability.
The strikes occurred just before the State Department announced on September 27 the end of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Iraq by the end of September 2025 and in Syria in 2026.
This transition will involve U.S. support for Iraq’s military and the withdrawal of some American troops from Iraqi bases.
Senior Pentagon officials provided an update on the anti-ISIS mission in Iraq before the announcement, stressing the continued commitment to defeating ISIS in the region.
Hurras al-Din, an extremist group tied to Al Qaeda, continues to pose a threat to Western interests, despite suffering personnel losses since 2019, according to the National Counterterrorism Center.
These strikes in Syria coincide with Israel’s recent actions targeting Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, over the weekend.
