US strike eliminates al Qaeda operative connected to ISIS ambush that killed 3 Americans in Syria

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday a leader affiliated with al Qaeda , who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for killing two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, was killed in a U.S. strike in northwest Syria on Friday. CENTCOM officials said Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was "directly connected" with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria. "The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces ," said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper. "There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you." CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack. US TROOPS PULL OUT OF MAJOR IRAQ AIRBASE AMID ONGOING REGIONAL CONSOLIDATION EFFORT, PROGRESS AGAINST ISIS Operation Hawkeye Strike resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions. More than 300 ISIS operatives were captured and more than 20 were killed across Syria within the past year, according to CENTCOM. U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and members of their team in Damascus on Jan. 10 to discuss recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria’s historic transition . TRUMP ATTENDS SOLEMN DIGNIFIED TRANSFER FOR IOWA GUARDSMEN, CIVILIAN KILLED IN Syria ISIS ATTACK In a statement on X, Barrack said President Donald Trump agreed to lift sanctions in order to "give Syria a chance" to move forward. "The United States Government welcomes Syria’s historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as it works to stabilize the country, rebuild national institutions, and fulfill the aspirations of all Syrians for peace, security, and prosperity," Barrack wrote in the post. REPUBLICAN SENATOR CONDEMNS ALLEGED SYRIAN ARMY ABUSES AS CEASEFIRE FOLLOWS Aleppo FIGHTING He added Syrian government has reaffirmed its commitment to the March 2025 integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but called developments in Aleppo that "appear to challenge the terms of this agreement," deeply concerning. "We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue in accordance with the March 10 and April 1, 2025 agreements between the Syrian government and the SDF," Barrack wrote. "Violence risks undermining the progress achieved since the fall of the Assad regime and invites external interference that serves no party’s interests. … The objective remains a sovereign, unified Syria—at peace with itself and its neighbors—where equality, justice, and opportunity are extended to all its people."