US Strikes Kill Al-Qaeda Affiliate Leader Linked to ISIS Ambush on American Soldiers in Syria

Florida: The United States military killed a senior Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader with direct links to the ISIS ambush that targeted American soldiers in Syria in December in a strike carried out in the country's northwest region.

In a statement issued by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the US forces conducted the strike on January 16, resulting in the death of Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an experienced terrorist leader with direct links to an ISIS operative responsible for a deadly ambush on US personnel, which led to the death of two American soldiers and an interpreter.

The December 13 ambush in Palmyra, Syria, killed two US service members and an American interpreter while also injuring American and Syrian personnel. CENTCOM said al-Jasim was directly connected to the ISIS gunman involved in that attack and had played a role in plotting terrorist operations.

"The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces," CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said. "There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you," he added.

Following the December ambush, CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes across Syria under an operation dubbed Hawkeye Strike. As part of the operation, US and partner forces targeted more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites, employing over 200 precision-guided munitions, as per the statement issued.

CENTCOM further stated that over the past year, US and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed over 20 others across Syria, removing individuals who posed a direct threat to US forces and regional security.

This comes weeks after the CENTCOM forces, along with partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against multiple ISIS targets across Syria as a part of Operation Hawkeye Strike.

CENTCOM mentioned that the strikes targeted ISIS throughout Syria as part of its ongoing commitment "to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region. U.S. and coalition forces remain resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States."

Operation Hawkeye Strike was launched on December 19, 2025, at the direction of US President Donald Trump, in direct response to the ISIS attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13, 2025, which CENTCOM said was carried out by an ISIS terrorist.

The soldiers were identified as 25-year-old Sgt Edgar Brian Torres Tovar of Des Moines, Iowa, and 29-year-old Sgt William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, Iowa, both members of the Iowa National Guard. They were part of roughly 1,800 troops deployed in the Middle East earlier this year as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US mission to defeat ISIS.

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