U.S. strike kills senior ISIS leader in northwest Syria

A U.S. airstrike in northwest Syria killed a senior ISIS leader as part of ongoing operations against the group, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The strike targeted a militant accused of posing a threat to Americans abroad and the U.S. homeland.

CENTCOM said the strike was carried out on June 19 and killed Ali Husayn al-‘Ulaywi. The command did not provide additional details about his role within ISIS or say exactly where in northwest Syria the strike took place.

The operation comes as U.S. forces continue to target ISIS leaders and operatives in Syria, where the group lost its territorial control years ago but has continued to operate through cells and networks across parts of the country.

In January, CENTCOM said a U.S. strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an al-Qaeda-affiliated leader who was directly connected to an ISIS attacker involved in a deadly ambush that killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter in Palmyra last December.

CENTCOM said at the time that the January strike was part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, a campaign in which U.S. and partner forces targeted more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across Syria in response to the Palmyra attack.

“CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement. “We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and allies and partners across the region.”