US military says it killed 37 militants in separate Syria strikes
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WASHINGTON – US forces conducted two separate strikes in Syria, killing 37 “terrorist operatives”, including members of the militant group ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din, said the military’s Central Command (Centcom) on Sept 29.
A Sept 24 strike in north-west Syria killed nine “terrorist operatives”, including senior Hurras al-Din leader Marwan Bassam Abd-al-Ra’uf, the US military said.
A Sept 16 strike in central Syria targeted an ISIS training camp and killed at least 28 people, including four senior leaders, the statement said. It did not identify the leaders.
The US military has around 900 troops in Syria as part of an international coalition against ISIS. The coalition was established in 2014 to help combat the armed group, which took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria.
“These strikes against leadership and operatives of ISIS and the Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, represent Centcom’s commitment to the enduring defeat of terrorist organisations in the Centcom area of responsibility and our support to regional stability,” said Centcom commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla.
Anti-ISIS coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since 2023 has drawn in armed groups across the Middle East.
US forces have carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against militant factions in both countries.
In August, US forces killed another Hurras al-Din leader, Abu Abdul Rahman al-Makki, in a strike in Syria. AFP
