Senior ISIS Leader In Syria Is Believed To Have Died In US Attack

JAKARTA - United States troops believe they have killed a "senior leader of ISIS Syria" after carrying out targeted attacks on Monday, US CENTCOM said.

Washington was unable to confirm the attack on Monday morning, but claimed its operations resulted in the "likely death" of an unnamed ISIS member and two other gunmen.

Early morning helicopter attacks in the north of the country targeted senior ISIS members who were responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe, CENTCOM said.

"An extensive plan is carried out in this operation to ensure its implementation is successful," CENTCOM said, as reported by The National News on April 17.

US CENTCOM did not immediately respond to The National News' request for further details or information about the identities of those killed.

The US is known to have about 900 troops in Syria on a mission focused on countering Iran-backed militias and preventing the rise of ISIS, in partnership with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Washington itself is known to have carried out a series of counter attacks against ISIS in recent weeks. This comes amid rising tensions with Tehran, after a drone strike killed a US contractor at a US base in Hasakah Province last month.

In recent weeks, CENTCOM killed senior ISIS leader Khalid Aydd Ahmad Al Jabouri in northwestern Syria and arrested an "attacking facilitator" for the terrorist group.

CENTCOM chief General Michael Kurila told the House Armed Services Committee last month ISIS would return to power in "one to two years" if the US withdrew its troops in Syria.