The U.S. military said it killed a leader of an al-Qaida-linked group in connection with the killing of three Americans in Syria in December. The move is seen as retaliation for the deaths of two U.S. service members and an American interpreter.
On the 17th, local time, according to CNN, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "We eliminated al-Qaida leader Bilal Hassan al-Jassim through an airstrike," sharing the news.
The strike was carried out as retaliation for a Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra, central Syria, by the Islamic extremist group Islamic State (ISIS, commonly IS). The ambush left three Americans dead, including two U.S. service members and an American interpreter.
After the incident, the United States continued large-scale airstrikes targeting IS fighters and infrastructure in Syria. Central Command said al-Jassim, described as an "experienced terror leader," had a direct connection to the gunmen who killed Americans.
So far, Central Command has hit more than 100 IS facilities. U.S. forces are stationed in Syria to root out IS. The Syrian government led by Interim President Ahmed al-Shara is also cooperating with the U.S. operation to eliminate IS.