Overview

• U.S. Central Command said it conducted an Oct. 2 operation in Syria that killed Muhammad Abd‑al‑Wahhab al‑Ahmad, without disclosing the strike’s precise location.
• CENTCOM identified al‑Ahmad as an Ansar al‑Islam attack planner; the group has been a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization since 2004.
• CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper described al‑Ahmad as a persistent threat who funneled recruits and resources to sustain Al‑Qaeda’s operational tempo.
• Syrian press reports said the strike occurred in Idlib while al‑Ahmad was traveling by vehicle, a detail not confirmed by CENTCOM.
• The operation is the latest in a 2025 campaign that also killed senior figures from ISIS and Hurras al‑Din in earlier strikes.