Summary
A U.S. military strike in Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an al-Qaeda leader with ties to an ambush that killed three Americans. This strike is part of the U.S. efforts against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, where they have hit over 100 IS targets since December 2025.
Key Facts
- The U.S. military conducted a strike in Syria that killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an al-Qaeda leader.
- He had connections to an IS gunman responsible for an attack that killed three Americans in Syria.
- The strike took place in northwest Syria and was confirmed by U.S. Central Command (Centcom).
- The U.S. has been targeting IS in Syria through Operation Hawkeye Strike after the deaths of the three Americans in December 2025.
- Centcom reported hitting more than 100 IS targets using 200 precision explosives.
- Between December 20 and December 29, 2025, Centcom undertook 11 missions, killing or capturing about 25 IS members.
- Syria has been unstable after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.
- IS remains active in Syria, primarily in the northeast against Kurdish-led forces.
