U.S. forces killed a major ISIS leader in Syria.

The United States Armed Forces, under Central Command (CENTCOM), killed a high-ranking ISIS member in Syria, according to the U.S. military itself. "On September 19, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a raid in Syria that resulted in the death of a senior ISIS official who posed a direct threat to U.S. territory," the official statement said. According to Washington, the mission's target was Omar Abdul Qader, "an ISIS member who was actively seeking to attack the United States. His death disrupts the terrorist organization's ability to plan and carry out future attacks that threaten Americans and our partners."

This operation adds to another carried out a month earlier, at the end of August, when U.S. forces eliminated another leader of the Islamic terrorist organization in Atmeh, Syria's Idlib province, near the border with Türkiye. Back then, the target was Abu Hafs al-Qurayshi, according to reports. Following the announcement of the most recent strike on September 19, CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper stated: "We won't relent in our pursuit of terrorists who seek to attack the United States, our forces, or our allies and partners abroad... I commend the efforts of our skilled fighters and all those who supported them during the mission." According to the Erbil-based outlet Rudaw in northern Iraq, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) reported Friday that it had eliminated one of ISIS's most important leaders during a joint operation with the U.S.-led international coalition inside Syrian territory.

This development would confirm Iraq's active participation in the mission and reflects its efforts to strengthen security on the border with Syria, as well as in the fight against the remaining cells of the jihadist group. Additionally, ICTS also identified the target as Omar Abdul Qader Bassam, also known as Abdul Rahman al-Halabi, who is attributed with a direct role in the terrorist attack carried out in 2013 against the Iranian embassy in Lebanon. That attack left 23 dead and around 160 injured, according to Rudaw. Although ISIS was largely defeated in 2019 in both Syria and Iraq, it still keeps a presence through small cells in both countries. Moreover, recent reports indicate that Iraqi intelligence services may have provided Damascus with information about an assassination plot, which demonstrates increased cooperation between Iraq and Syria.