At a Glance
- A U.S. drone strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an Al-Qaeda-linked planner tied to the Dec. 13 ambush that killed two U.S. troops and an interpreter.
- Al-Jasim helped orchestrate the Palmyra attack and continued plotting follow-on strikes, Central Command said.
- The hit is part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which has pounded more than 100 ISIS sites with over 200 precision munitions since December.
- Why it matters: The operation shows the U.S. is expanding its target list beyond ISIS fighters to include Al-Qaeda facilitators who enable attacks on Americans.
A single U.S. precision strike in northwest Syria on Friday eliminated a veteran terrorist leader who helped mastermind last month’s deadly ISIS ambush that killed three Americans, military officials announced Sunday.
Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, described by U.S. Central Command as “an experienced terrorist leader,” died in the blast. Intelligence linked him directly to the Dec. 13 ISIS attack in Palmyra, Syria, that claimed the lives of two U.S. service members and an American interpreter and wounded several other U.S. and Syrian partner forces.
The Dec. 13 Ambush
Central Command’s news release laid out the chain of connections:
- Al-Jasim plotted additional attacks across the region.
- He was “directly connected” with the ISIS gunman who opened fire on the American patrol.
- The assault happened during a routine counterterrorism engagement, according to the Defense Department.
President Donald Trump labeled the ambush “an ISIS attack against the U.S.” and vowed swift retaliation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later posted on X that U.S. partner forces had already killed the actual triggerman; al-Jasim’s death now removes the network behind him.
Operation Hawkeye Strike Escalates
The strike on al-Jasim is the latest move in Operation Hawkeye Strike, a large-scale air-and-ground campaign that began in December:
- More than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites have been hit.
- Over 200 precision munitions have been used.
- U.S. and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS operatives.
- More than 20 fighters have been killed in the past year alone.
A CENTCOM release said the operation is “removing terrorists who posed a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”
No Safe Haven Message
Speaking after the strike, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, issued a blunt warning:
> “The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces. There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
The United Nations and the United States both classify ISIS-also referred to as IS-as a terrorist organization.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. has now killed both the ISIS shooter and his Al-Qaeda-linked facilitator within weeks.
- Friday’s strike widens the target set beyond ISIS to associated Qaeda planners.
- Operation Hawkeye Strike continues across Syria with no announced end date.
