Illustrative image. (U. S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Justin D. Pyle)
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on August 22 that its forces killed a senior ISIS member during a raid in northern Syria three days earlier.
The terrorist was a key financier who planned attacks in Syria and Iraq, the command said in a statement, adding that he had relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region, posing “a direct threat to U.S. and Coalition forces and the new Syrian Government.”
“We will continue to pursue ISIS terrorists with unwavering determination, throughout the region” said ADM Brad Cooper, Commander, CENTCOM. “Together with our partners and allies, CENTCOM remains steadfast in our commitment of ensuring the lasting defeat of ISIS and the protection of the U.S. homeland.”
According to Syrian media, the raid took place in the town of Atme, which is located in the northern Idlib countryside right on the border with Turkey. Videos posted to social networks showed some of the U.S. military helicopters which were involved in the raid.
Five people detained by U.S. special forces during the raid were reportedly handed over later on to Syrian security forces in Atme.
A U.S. official told FOX News that the ISIS member killed by CENTCOM had been poised to become the group’s next leader in the country.
This was the second U.S. raid to target senior ISIS members in northern Syria in recent weeks. On July 25, Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, a senior commander of ISIS, was killed along with his two adult ISIS-affiliated sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani, in a CENTCOM raid in the city of al-Baba.
While there are indications that the recent raids were coordinated with Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government, the U.S. has not yet confirmed this.
ISIS took advantage of the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad last December to reorganize its ranks. While the terrorist group’s activists in the country remain limited, its influence has likely grown significantly since then. This growth could eventually manifest with a large-scale attack. The new government is certainly not prepared to face such a threat. In fact, some of the more radical elements within the government may not be even willing to fight the terrorist group.
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putler betrayed syria for his love of erdogan and netanyahu.
you’re either sadly mistaken or have no sense of reality of international affairs or the geopolitical world. how tf did putin betray syria?! he literally came to assads aid and rescued him from being defeated & overran by islamic extremists. he even started to bomb & strathe hts fighters & positions when it first started. then stopped when there was no resistance being made. putin is now in negotiations over the fate of its former contract and lease
i hope that the chechens will re-establish the al qaeda caliphate in chechnya. that will putler can support this disgusting al qaeda in russia, not just in syria.
isis has killed and got killed. every day…til they run out of heads, cause the others won’t