US carries out lethal strike against al Qaeda affiliate leader in Syria

The US on Saturday announced it conducted a lethal strike in Syria on an al Qaeda affiliate leader it says had direct ties to an ISIS attacker who killed three Americans in early December.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said in a release on X.

CENTCOM said Bilal Hasan al-Jasim “was an experienced terrorist leader” and “was directly connected” to the ISIS gunman who killed two US service members and a civilian interpreter on December 13, 2025, in Palmyra, Syria.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to CENTCOM’s post, writing on X, “We will never forget, and never relent.”

The US has been retaliating againstISIS following the deadly ambush through a series of strikes under the campaign titled “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” CENTCOM said in the Saturday statement that the operation has hit more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets. Hundreds of American troops continue to be deployed in Syria as part of the US’ long-standing mission to combat ISIS.

ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the December attack that killed the two US service members and civilian interpreter. CNN previously reportedthat Syria’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said the attacker was a part of the country’s Internal Security Service.

Syrian leaders were quick to distance the gunman from the country’s fledgling government, which has received strong American support in recent months.

By CNN