On Friday, August 23, the US military announced that it had carried out a drone strike in northwestern Syria, killing a senior leader of an extremist organization, Abu Abdul Rahman al-Makki.
The US Central Command stated in a release that their forces successfully targeted and killed Makki in a kinetic strike. Makki was a member of the advisory council of the “Guardians of the Religion” (Hurras al-Din) and a senior leader responsible for overseeing terrorist activities in Syria.
The “Guardians of the Religion” splintered from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a militant group associated with Al-Qaeda. Currently, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is attempting to distance itself from Al-Qaeda.
According to the Central Command, the “Guardians of the Religion” is an armed group based in Syria with ties to Al-Qaeda, sharing a common global intent to launch attacks against US and Western interests.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, also reported that a drone strike targeted a motorcycle in southern Idlib province, resulting in Makki’s death. The organization mentioned that Makki, a Saudi Arabian citizen, was a former leader of the now-dissolved terrorist group Jund al-Aqsa.
Over the past few years, the US military has conducted a series of attacks targeting armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda in northwestern Syria.
Commander of the Central Command, Michael Erik Kurilla, stated, “The Central Command remains committed to thoroughly defeating terrorists in their area of responsibility, as they pose a threat to the United States, allies, partners, and regional stability.”
In a drone strike last year in Idlib province, two members of the “Guardians of the Religion” were killed.
There are approximately 900 US troops stationed in Syria as part of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State terrorist organization. Established in 2014, the coalition aims to assist in combating the Islamic State’s presence in Iraq and Syria. The Islamic State has lost the territory it once held.