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32m ago

U.S. Strike Kills Al‑Qaeda‑Linked Figure Tied to Palmyra Ambush, CENTCOM Says

The hit is the first named target in Operation Hawkeye Strike, a continuing campaign that has hit more than 100 ISIS sites since December.

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The seal for US Central Command is displayed on February 6, 2017, at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
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Overview

  • CENTCOM said the Jan. 16 strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al‑Jasim, described as an experienced planner directly connected to the ISIS gunman in the Dec. 13 attack.
  • The Palmyra ambush killed Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres‑Tovar, and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, and injured additional U.S. and Syrian personnel.
  • U.S. officials characterized the operation as the third retaliatory round tied to the December killings, following large strikes on Dec. 19 and Jan. 10.
  • CENTCOM reports U.S. and partner forces, including Jordan’s air force, have employed over 200 precision munitions against more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites, with over 300 ISIS operatives detained across Syria in the past year.
  • Attribution remains in dispute, as outside monitors note ISIS has not claimed the ambush and public evidence of detailed links between networks is limited.