80 anti-ISIS raids in Syria leave 119 detained, 14 Killed – CENTCOM
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – U.S. and partner forces have carried out nearly 80 operations in Syria since July, detaining 119 ISIS members and killing 14 others over six months, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday, citing heightened threats to the U.S.
In a statement, CENTCOM announced that U.S. and partner forces in Syria have conducted nearly 80 counterterrorism operations since July, resulting in the detention of 119 ISIS operatives and the killing of 14 others over the past six months.
The CENTCOM added that the operations were launched in response to at least 11 ISIS-inspired plots or attacks against targets inside the United States over the past year, underscoring what it described as a persistent external threat posed by the group.
In September, U.S. forces carried out a raid in Syria that killed senior ISIS operative Omar Abdul Qader, whom CENTCOM said was actively seeking to carry out attacks against the United States.
“Operations in Syria are critical for preventing ISIS from regenerating and posing a significant threat. We will root out and eliminate terrorist jihadists wherever they hide,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said, vowing continued action against ISIS networks.
In November, U.S. personnel from the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR), in coordination with the Syrian Ministry of Interior, destroyed more than 15 ISIS weapons cache sites in southern Syria.
The operation eliminated over 130 mortars and rockets, along with rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines, and materials used to manufacture improvised explosive devices.
The CENTCOM also confirmed a July raid in al-Bab, northeatern Aleppo, that killed senior ISIS leader Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani and his two adult sons, who were affiliated with the group and deemed a threat to U.S. and partner forces.
Cooper said recent operations included “multiple instances of collaboration” with Syrian government forces, describing them as tangible security gains aimed at preventing an ISIS resurgence.