The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday (January 17) that the US military had killed a leader of an Al-Qaeda branch on Friday (January 16). This individual was connected to an incident last month in Syria involving an Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist attacking US forces.
According to the statement released by CENTCOM on social media platform X on Saturday, on January 16, airstrikes were carried out in northwestern Syria, resulting in the killing of Al-Qaeda branch leader Bilal Hasan al-Jasim. He was directly linked to an ISIS terrorist who ambushed US forces on December 13, 2025, resulting in the deaths of two American soldiers and one American translator.
The statement described Jasim as a seasoned terrorist leader who had orchestrated multiple attacks.
Commander Brad Cooper of CENTCOM stated that the killing of this terrorist linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates their determination in pursuing those terrorists who target US forces.
Cooper further warned individuals who are involved in “carrying out, planning, or inciting” attacks against American citizens and military personnel that they have “no safe haven, we will find you”.
In response to the December 13 attack, CENTCOM conducted extensive airstrikes in Syria. In an operation named “Eagle Eye Strike”, the US military and partner forces used over two hundred precision munitions to target over a hundred ISIS infrastructure and weapons locations.
Additionally, over the past year, the US military and partner forces have captured over three hundred ISIS militants within Syria and killed more than twenty, eliminating terrorists who pose a direct threat to US and regional security.