U.S. Airstrike in Syria Kills Senior al-Qaeda-Linked Official, CENTCOM Confirms

On Saturday, February 15, a U.S. attack in northwestern Syria killed a top Hurras al-Din financial and logistics executive connected to al-Qaeda.

U.S. counterterrorism activities against extremist groups in Idlib province included the strike. CENTCOM confirmed the operation, saying the U.S. will continue to fight terrorism.

CENTCOM said that a U.S. drone strike in northwestern Syria on February 15 killed a top leader of the al-Qaeda offshoot Hurras al-Din. The militant group recently announced its disintegration and relied on the official for funding and logistics.

The strike near Uram al-Jawz in Idlib province was part of a U.S. campaign to kill top militants. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed two operators were killed when a drone hit their car. Watchers reported seeing multiple U.S.-led coalition drones before the strike.

The second targeted airstrike against Hurras al-Din commanders in weeks. Another U.S. drone attack in Idlib killed senior member Muhammad Salah al-Za'bir on January 30.

The U.S. is committed to counterterrorism, as CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla stated, "We will relentlessly pursue terrorists to defend our homeland and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region." The U.S.-led coalition is targeting ISIS and other jihadist groups in northwestern and northeastern Syria. On the day the Assad regime fell in December, U.S. forces struck 75 targets in central Syria in one of their most excellent single-day operations since ISIS lost its last bastion in 2019.

The latest strike highlights Syria's instability and U.S. efforts to disrupt terrorist networks in the region.

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