The U.S. military conducted two airstrikes in Syria, killing 37 terrorist operatives from ISIS and Al Qaeda-affiliate Hurras al-Din.
The U.S. military carried out two precision airstrikes in Syria during September, eliminating 37 terrorists, including senior leaders from ISIS and Hurras al-Din, an Al Qaeda affiliate, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday.
The first strike occurred on September 16 in central Syria, targeting an ISIS training camp. This operation resulted in the deaths of 28 ISIS operatives, four of whom were senior leaders within the organization. A second airstrike on September 24 in northwest Syria killed nine operatives from Hurras al-Din, including Marwan Bassam ‘Abd-al-Ra’uf, a top leader responsible for coordinating military activities in the region.
Hurras al-Din, a militant group with Al Qaeda ties, aims to carry out attacks against U.S. and Western interests. CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla highlighted the importance of these operations in a statement, stressing that the strikes demonstrate CENTCOM’s commitment to “the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the region.”
The U.S. military has been actively disrupting terrorist networks in Syria for years, and these recent airstrikes come on the heels of the August 23 strike that took out Abu-‘Abd al-Rahman al-Makki, another senior Hurras al-Din member. The August operation was confirmed in a separate statement from CENTCOM.
U.S. Central Command Conducts Targeted Strikes Against Terrorist Groups in Syria pic.twitter.com/u62UyJvkZT
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 29, 2024
“These strikes against leadership and operatives of ISIS and the Al Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, represent CENTCOM’s commitment to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and our support to regional stability,” Gen. Kurilla emphasized.
US forces killed ISIS, Hurras al-Din commanders in Syria in two strikes https://t.co/5YKDQtYMQj
— Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) September 29, 2024
In both of these recent operations, CENTCOM confirmed that no civilians were harmed. The strikes symbolize the U.S. military’s resolve to disrupt and degrade terrorist activities in Syria and throughout the Middle East.
In April 2023, U.S. forces also successfully targeted Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, a senior ISIS leader responsible for coordinating attacks in Europe, according to a report from the Associated Press. Despite these efforts, ISIS is estimated to have between 5,000 to 7,000 fighters or supporters in Syria and other regions.
Approximately 900 U.S. troops remain stationed in Syria, working alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to prevent the resurgence of ISIS and combat other extremist factions. U.S. forces are also stationed near areas with Iran-linked militant groups, further demonstrating the complex security dynamics in the region.
