CENTCOM in a statement on Saturday said the strike was conducted on January 16 and followed an earlier attack on U.S. personnel in Syria.
United States forces have killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, a senior Al-Qaeda affiliate leader, in a military strike in northwest Syria, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
CENTCOM in a statement on Saturday said the strike was conducted on January 16 and followed an earlier attack on U.S. personnel in Syria.
According to the command, al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who had direct ties to an ISIS operative responsible for an ambush in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13, 2025, which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter, and injured American and Syrian personnel.
Reacting to the killing, the commander of U.S. Central Command described the operation as part of efforts targeting militants linked to attacks on U.S. forces.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
CENTCOM said the January strike followed large-scale military operations launched in Syria in response to the December 13 attack.
The command said the response operation, dubbed Hawkeye Strike, resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions.
CENTCOM added that during the past year, U.S. and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed over 20 others across Syria, noting that they posed a direct threat to the U.S. and regional security.