The US military carried out a drone strike in Syria that killed an Islamic State leader, it was announced Monday night.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the operation killed senior ISIS leader Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri – which will now “temporarily disrupt the organization’s ability to plan external attacks.”
The US Department of Defense said the terrorist was responsible for planning attacks in Europe and building the IS leadership structure.
According to local media, he was reportedly talking on the phone on the outskirts of the city of Killi in Syria’s Idlib province when he was attacked by a Hellfire missile.
Following the death of Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, General Michael Kurilla said ISIS “continues to pose a threat to the region and beyond”.
The R9X Hellfire missile has become one of the US military’s weapons of choice for precision kills due to the reduced risk of collateral damage
A US military armored vehicle drives past the outskirts of Rumaylan in Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh province, which borders Turkey, on March 27, 2023.
General Michael Kurilla said ISIS “continues to pose a threat to the region and beyond.”
“Although the group has been downgraded, it remains capable of conducting operations in the region with a desire to strike outside the Middle East.”
No civilians were killed or injured in this attack, CENTCOM said in a statement.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said Monday that one person was killed in a drone strike near the rebel town of Kefteen.
The Syrian opposition’s civil defense, also known as the White Helmets, said they evacuated the man from the scene of the attack and that he later died of his injuries.
The attack was the latest in a series of attacks in recent years targeting al-Qaeda-affiliated militants and senior members of the Islamic State terror group in northwestern Syria.
Most of those killed in US strikes in rebel-held Idlib province in recent years have been members of the al-Qaeda affiliate Horas al-Din, which means “guardian of the religion” in Arabic.
The group is made up of hard-line al-Qaeda members who broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main insurgent group in Idlib province.
In February, a drone strike killed two men who local activists initially identified as members of Horas al-Din.
The Observatory later said one of the two killed was a senior member of the Islamic State group, which was defeated in Syria in March 2019.
A statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) detailing the attack on the ISIS leader
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
