Pentagon declares mission in Syria’s northwest successful
QAMISLI, Syria (North Press) – In the early hours on Thursday morning, the US Department of Defense (DoD) declared its special forces carried out a widespread raid in Syria’s northwest city of Idlib.
“The mission was successful. There were no U.S. casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
Local sources said US forces carried out an aerial raid and targeted a leader of al-Qaeda organization.
The raid was launched in the town of Atmeh, north of Idlib, near the Syrian-Turkish border where Syrian opposition factions are in control.
The Pentagon gave no information on the identity of the person targeted in the operation.
A US official revealed that one of the helicopters used in the mission had a technical problem and had to be exploded on the ground. “ It was a mass counter-terrorism mission ,” the official affirmed.
The Wall Street Journal said “the operation was in the planning stages for at least the past several days. The target of the raid would have to be a significant individual “, but it did not mention his identity.
“The raid was launched in Atmeh town near the Turkish border and 15 miles from the village of Barisha, where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in October 2019 during a U.S.-led raid,” according to Wall Street Journal.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the US-led Global Coalition used helicopters that landed in the area and attacked a house. Then the coalition forces clashed with militants on the ground for about two hours.