Thirty-seven militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group and al-Qaida’s Hurras al-Din branch were killed in two airstrikes in Syria this month, the United States (U.S.) military said.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement released on Platform X that the strikes took place on September 16th and 24th, adding that there were no indications that any civilians were injured.
The September 24th attack killed nine “terrorist operatives,” including senior leader Hurras al-Din, in northwestern Syria. The U.S. military announced that he was responsible for overseeing military operations.
On September 16th, a “large-scale airstrike” was carried out on an IS training camp in a remote, undisclosed location in central Syria. At least 28 militants were killed, including at least four senior leaders.
“The airstrike will disrupt ISIS’s ability to conduct operations against U.S. interests, as well as our allies and partners,” the statement said. ISIS is another acronym for the Islamic State group.
There are about 900 U.S. soldiers in Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contract personnel.
Their main mission is to prevent the return of the extremist group IS. The group swept through Iraq and Syria in 2014, taking control of large swaths of territory.
U.S. forces are advising and assisting their main allies in northeastern Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
They are not far from strategic areas where Iran-backed militant groups are present, including a key border crossing with Iraq.
Photo: illustration
