The recent strikes conducted by CENTCOM were carried out just days before the State Department announced the end of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Iraq and Syria. According to the U.S. military, 37 members of terrorist groups, including leaders associated with ISIS and Al Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din, were killed in Syria. The strikes were conducted on Sept. 16 and 24 but were officially announced on Sept. 29 by CENTCOM.
In the Sept. 24 strike in northwest Syria, the U.S. military eliminated senior Hurras al-Din leader Marwan Bassam Abd-al-Ra‘uf and eight other terrorists. Abd-al-Ra’uf was responsible for overseeing military operations in Syria. This strike followed another U.S. strike that killed Hurras al-Din senior leader Abu-Abd al-Rahman al Makki. In the Sept. 16 strike in central Syria, at least four senior ISIS leaders and 24 other ISIS terrorists were eliminated.
CENTCOM stated that the airstrikes were aimed at disrupting ISIS’ capability to carry out operations against U.S. interests, allies, and partners. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla of CENTCOM emphasized that the strikes demonstrate a commitment to defeating terrorist organizations in the region and supporting regional stability.
The news of the strikes in Syria comes amidst Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah leaders, including its most senior leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS will end its mission in Iraq and Syria by the end of September 2025 and 2026, respectively, transitioning to U.S. support for Iraq’s military. This move will also involve the withdrawal of some American troops from Iraqi bases, although the exact number has not been specified by the Biden administration.
The Pentagon deputy press secretary mentioned that there will be changes in the U.S. military footprint within Iraq. The Pentagon official highlighted the success in territorially defeating ISIS in core regions of Iraq and Syria but emphasized the ongoing commitment to defeating ISIS in Iraq and northeast Syria. Hurras al-Din, which follows al-Qa‘ida’s ideology, poses a threat to U.S. and Western interests despite its weakened state following personnel losses since 2019. Please rewrite this sentence.
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