In a joint operation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), U.S. troops captured Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal, an ISIS leader implicated in a recent jailbreak in Syria. The operation took place in the early hours of Sunday, September 1, 2024, and was coordinated by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Al-Dandal is believed to have facilitated the escape of five ISIS foreign fighters from the Raqqa Detention Facility on August 29.
The escapees included two Russians, two Afghans, and one Libyan. The SDF quickly recaptured two of the escapees—one Russian and one Libyan—while the other three remain at large. CENTCOM has identified the three missing detainees as Russian national Timor Talbrken Abdash and Afghan nationals Shuab Muhammad Al-Abdli and Atal Khaled Zar. The search for these individuals is ongoing.
According to CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the approximately 9,000 ISIS detainees held in over 20 SDF-run facilities in Syria represent a significant security risk. “If a large number of these ISIS fighters escaped, it would pose an extreme danger to the region and beyond,” Kurilla stated.
The capture of al-Dandal occurred just days after a separate U.S. operation against ISIS in Iraq’s Anbar Province, which resulted in the deaths of 15 ISIS militants. During this operation, seven American service members were injured, with one requiring evacuation for additional medical care. This series of operations underscores the ongoing efforts of U.S. and coalition forces to dismantle ISIS’s remaining networks and prevent the resurgence of the terror group in the region.
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