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US forces have carried out a strike which killed an al-Qaeda leader “who had direct ties” to an Islamic State (IS) group terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed three Americans in Syria, officials have said.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement that Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was killed in the attack on Friday, which took place in northwest Syria.
The statement says he was “directly connected” with the IS group gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel.
The BBC has not independently verified the US claims.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked the death 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.”
The US has been carrying out large-scale strikes on IS targets in Syria, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, since the deaths of the three American on 13 December 2025 in Palmyra, central Syria.
So far, the US has hit more than 100 “infrastructure and weapons site targets”, using 200 precision munitions, according to Centcom.
Earlier this month, Centcom said it had killed or captured nearly 25 IS group members in 11 missions between 20 December and 29 December.
Syria has been in a fragile state since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, which effectively ended a civil war that had ravaged the country for 13 years.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by his nom-de-guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has been serving as the country’s president since his rebel group ousted Assad and solidified control.
IS has been weakened in Syria, but still remains active, predominantly carrying out attacks against Kurdish-led forces in the north-east in 2025.
