An American helicopter raid in eastern Syria killed two key Islamic State figures on Sunday, U.S. officials said.
U.S. Central Command released few details about the operation but said that it resulted in the death of an individual named “Anas,” who Pentagon officials said was deeply “involved in the group’s deadly plotting and facilitation operations in eastern Syria.”
“ISIS continues to represent a threat to the security and stability of the region. This operation reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to ensuring the group’s enduring defeat,” CENTCOM spokesperson Joe Buccino said in a statement. “The death of these ISIS officials will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out destabilizing attacks in the Middle East.”
No civilians were killed or injured in the operation, officials said.
Sunday’s raid is the latest in a string of American military operations in Syria, where about 1,000 U.S. troops are stationed.
In early October, for example, U.S. troops carried out two high-stakes missions targeting ISIS fighters. The first, a helicopter raid outside the northeastern Syrian village of Qamishli, led to the death of Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, who the Pentagon said was a pivotal figure in the smuggling of weapons and fresh fighters to ISIS pockets in the area.
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The same week, U.S. airstrikes in northern Syria killed ISIS official Abu-Hashum al-Umawi and another Islamic State figure, the Pentagon said.
The U.S. also has carried out numerous airstrikes against Iranian-linked militias operating in Syria that have repeatedly targeted American troops stationed in both Syria and neighboring Iraq.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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