U.S. Troops Take Down Senior ISIS Terrorist In Syria, Official Says
A pre-dawn raid in northwestern Syria ended with the death of a high-ranking ISIS figure who U.S. officials say was being considered as the group’s next leader in Syria. The operation, conducted at around 2 a.m. in the town of Atmeh, Idlib province, marks the second such mission by U.S. troops in the region since the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad late last year.
Details of the Raid
According to a U.S. official, the mission was carried out without any American casualties. Helicopters and drones provided air support as U.S. forces stormed the compound where the ISIS leader was hiding. Syrian security sources reported that the target, identified as an Iraqi national married to a French woman, was killed as he attempted to flee. The fate of his wife remains unclear.
Local witnesses described a tense two-hour standoff, with U.S. troops positioned on rooftops and speaking in English to nearby residents. Abdelqader al-Sheikh, a neighbor, recounted that he was ordered to put his hands up as the raid unfolded. He also recalled hearing Arabic spoken in an Iraqi accent, likely from the ISIS figure targeted in the mission.
Broader Context
The raid underscores the continued U.S. commitment to rooting out remnants of ISIS, even as Syria undergoes major political shifts. Idlib province has long served as a hiding place for ISIS leadership. It was there that U.S. forces killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019 and his successor, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, in 2022.
Just last month, U.S. forces killed another ISIS leader in Aleppo province along with his two adult sons, both of whom were affiliated with the terror group. The latest strike adds to a string of successful operations aimed at preventing ISIS from reconstituting its leadership in the region.
Implications
While the Pentagon has yet to issue an official statement, this operation is another demonstration of U.S. military reach and the Trump administration’s determination to prevent ISIS from regaining influence. With American forces working alongside the new Islamist-led government in Damascus, the anti-ISIS alliance has intensified efforts to ensure the terror group remains fractured and leaderless.
This latest takedown reinforces the message that even amid shifting dynamics in Syria, U.S. intelligence and military capabilities continue to pose a lethal threat to any attempt at ISIS resurgence.
