U.S. forces have killed an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader believed to be closely linked with the Islamic State member believed to be responsible for an ambush that left two soldiers and an American civilian interpreter dead in Syria, according to military officials.
A retaliatory airstrike strike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who was “an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks,” according to U.S. Central Command.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
Al-Jasim was “directly connected” to an attack on December 13 that killed Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, CENTCOM said.
President Donald Trump previously vowed “serious retaliation” against “ISIS thugs” in the wake of December’s attack.
“This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by [ISIS,] Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation.”
Trump stressed that Syria was fighting alongside American troops, as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with security forces as part of a coalition against the militant group.
The attack occurred as U.S. soldiers were conducting a “key leader engagement” as part of a counter-terrorism operation near the ancient city of Palmyra, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. The motive for the attack was unclear.
“Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
CENTCOM subsequently launched large-scale strikes in Syria. The operation, dubbed Hawkeye Strike, resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with more than 200 precision munitions.
Despite pulling some troops from Syria, the U.S. continues to fight back against ISIS, though U.S.-backed troops initially defeated the last holdouts of the caliphate in 2019.
As of December 2024, roughly 2,000 U.S. troops were in Syria, but the Trump administration has been reducing the number of troops over the last 10 months. In April, the administration said those forces would draw down to 1,400.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
