U.S. forces conducted multiple airstrikes on Islamic State (ISIS) camps in Syria’s central desert last Monday, killing as many as 35 militants, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The strikes targeted several ISIS locations, including camps where senior leaders were reportedly present.
The operation is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to curb ISIS activities in Syria and Iraq. The latest series of airstrikes came just after the recent joint U.S.-Iraqi operations against ISIS in Iraq, where coalition forces have been working to dismantle ISIS networks. Last week, two U.S. service members were injured in Iraq while assisting Iraqi forces in an anti-ISIS raid that reportedly killed at least seven ISIS operatives.
U.S. Central Command Conducts Airstrikes Against Several ISIS Camps in Syria pic.twitter.com/pPmPWwCKjV
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 30, 2024
No civilian casualties were reported in the recent airstrikes in Syria, according to CENTCOM, which emphasized that the strikes were carefully planned to minimize risks to civilians.
While ISIS no longer holds the extensive territory it controlled across Iraq and Syria during its peak, CENTCOM and Pentagon officials have warned that the group remains a persistent threat in the region. U.S. forces in Syria, numbering around 900 personnel, continue to work with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to prevent ISIS from reestablishing a foothold. In Iraq, roughly 2,500 U.S. troops are engaged in similar counter-ISIS missions with Iraqi security forces.
CENTCOM said it remains committed to collaborating with regional partners to “aggressively degrade” ISIS’s operational capabilities to ensure the group’s “enduring defeat.”
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