According to a statement by the Pentagon on Wednesday, U.S. forces conducted a successful late-night raid in eastern Syria last week, resulting in the capture of a ‘facilitator’ of the Islamic State, Hudayfah al Yemeni, and two others. The capture of al Yemeni is expected to significantly disrupt their ability to plan and execute operations.
CENTCOM, the United States Central Command, clarified that no civilians were harmed during the operation. Col. Joe Buccino, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson said in a statement “ISIS remains a threat to the region and beyond – the group retains the capability to conduct operations in Iraq and Syria with a desire to strike beyond the Middle East, and its vile ideology remains a threat. Operations such as this one reaffirms our commitment to the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
The capture comes in the wake of the April 3 killing by coalition forces of an ISIS leader Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, who was alleged to be responsible for planning terrorist attacks in Europe.
Last month, a military base housing U.S. forces near Hasakah in northeast Syria was struck by a suicide drone, resulting in the death of one U.S. contractor and injuries to five U.S. service members. U.S. military forces speculated that the drone was of Iranian origin and retaliated with airstrikes shortly after.
Currently, there are approximately 900 U.S. military personnel deployed in Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. In March 2023, General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited U.S. troops in Syria and expressed his unwavering commitment to the ongoing mission in the region.
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