AIR RAID IN SYRIA KILLED TOP ISIS LEADER; FOUR US SERVICE MEMBERS WOUNDED

Fri 17 February 2023:

A Daesh group leader was killed and four US troops wounded in a US helicopter raid on northeast Syria, the Defense Department said in a statement on Friday.

“Last night, during a partnered U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces helicopter raid in northeastern Syria, an explosion on target resulted in four U.S. service members and one working dog wounded,” said a statement from U.S. Central Command.

“The U.S. service members and working dog are receiving treatment in a U.S. medical facility in Iraq,” the statement said.

ISIS chief Hamza al-Homsi, who according to CENTCOM was in charge of the organization’s terrorist network in eastern Syria, was the target of the raid and was killed.

ISIS Senior Leader Killed and Four U.S. Servicemembers Wounded in Helicopter Raid in Northeastern Syria pic.twitter.com/j2a8IWsQw2

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 17, 2023

“The injuries to the US troops and working dog result from Hamza al-Homsi triggering an explosion on the target near Deir ez-zor, Syria,” said Col. Joe Buccino, the CENTCOM spokesman said.

“No other ISIS fighters were killed or captured on this target, however, a separate ISIS raid that same night resulted in the death of an ISIS assassination cell leader,” said Buccino. No civilians or Syrian Kurdish partner forces were injured in the incident according to Buccino.

U.S. mission in Syria

There are about 900 U.S. troops operating in northeastern Syria in areas controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces known as the Syrian Democratic Force and approximately 2,500 American troops still in Iraq.

The mission of the American troops in both countries remains partnering with local forces to counter the lingering threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) and prevent the group’s resurgence.

U.S. special operations forces typically carry out the high risk missions in Syria targeting ISIS leaders in an effort to gather more intelligence on the group’s operations.

That includes to areas in far northwestern areas of Syria not controlled by the Syrian government where ISIS leaders have sought refuge.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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