Overview
- Family members and Syrian officials say Khaled al-Masoud, who had been infiltrating Islamic State networks, was killed in the Oct. 19 Dumayr operation.
- Residents reported U.S. troops operating with the Syrian Free Army and described Humvees with U.S. flags and foreign personnel at the scene.
- A U.S. defense official said they had no information to provide about the raid, and U.S. Central Command issued no statement on a captured Islamic State figure.
- Relatives blame faulty Syrian Free Army intelligence for the targeting, while conflict monitor Airwars classifies al-Masoud as a civilian and cites prior coalition mistakes.
- The episode unfolds as cooperation expands, with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa announcing Syria’s entry into the anti-Islamic State coalition and joint forces reporting the destruction of 15 weapons caches.