U.S. forces killed an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist leader in northwestern Syria who was linked to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush that killed two American troops and an American interpreter last month, U.S. Central Command said on Saturday.
Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was targeted in a Friday strike and was described by CENTCOM as an experienced terrorist operative involved in plotting attacks and connected to the Dec. 13 assault near Palmyra, Syria.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 17, 2026
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s commander, said al-Jasim’s death “demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces.”
The strike followed large-scale U.S. attacks in response to the December attack, which CENTCOM said hit more than 100 ISIS sites during “Operation Hawkeye Strike.”
CENTCOM added that U.S. and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS terrorists and killed over 20 across Syria during the past year, removing terrorists who posed a direct threat to the United States and regional security.
US troops leave key Iraq base
U.S. troops have withdrawn from Ain al-Asad Airbase, in western Iraq’s Anbar province, as part of an ongoing effort to consolidate American forces in the region, Fox News reported on Saturday.
The pullout, completed by Friday, follows a plan announced last fall to reduce the U.S. footprint in Iraq, CENTCOM sources told Fox News. A U.S. official said the move reflects progress against ISIS, which “no longer poses a threat beyond Iraq’s capacity to handle on their own.”
The official added that U.S. forces are concentrating outside federal Iraqi territory to focus on operations against ISIS remnants in neighboring Syria.
