In a decisive counterterrorism operation, U.S. forces have carried out a strike that killed an al-Qaeda leader with direct ties to an Islamic State (IS) group terrorist responsible for an ambush that claimed the lives of three American soldiers in Syria.
The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) confirmed that Bilal Hassan al-Jazim was killed in the attack on Friday, which took place in northwestern Syria. According to Centcom, al-Jazim was “directly connected” to the IS group gunman who carried out the deadly attack against American and Syrian personnel.
“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.”
The U.S. has been conducting large-scale strikes on IS targets in Syria, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, since the December 2025 attack in Palmyra that killed the three American soldiers. Centcom reported that the U.S. has hit more than 100 “infrastructure and weapon sites” using 200 precision munitions as part of this ongoing operation.
Earlier this month, Centcom also announced that 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.
While IS has been weakened in Syria, the group remains active, predominantly carrying out attacks against Kurdish-led forces in the northeast in 2025.
