President Trump congratulated the US Central Command forces targeting senior “terrorist leaders” in Syria with a successful weekend air strike.
“The US military carried out a precise airstrike this weekend against members of Syria's al-Qaeda,” Trump wrote of the True Society. “Terrorist leaders were working with al-Qaeda throughout the region.”
“Congratulations to General Michael Kurira, Commander of Centcom, and to the US fighters who treated justice to another Jihadi who threatens America and our allies and partners,” the president added.
According to Sencomb, the airstrike took place on Saturday, resulting in the death of “a senior financial and logistics officer who had terrorist organization Haras al-Din, an al-Qaeda affiliate.”
“Air bombings, together with partners in the region, are part of Centcom's ongoing commitment to planning, organizing and carrying out attacks on civilians and military personnel from partners across the US, our allies and regions. This is part of an effort to disrupt and degrade the efforts of terrorists to do so, the Combatant Command said in a statement.
Kurira said the US military would “continue to mercilessly pursue terrorists to protect our homeland.”
At least the fifth airstrike marked the fifth airstrike carried out or enabled by Centcom against ISIS and Hurras Al Din since Trump took office.
The strike against ISIS took place in Iraq, carried out by Iraqi forces, but all operations against Laras Al Din were in nearby Syria.
Last month, US Africa Command carried out at least two separate airstrikes targeting ISIS Somali terrorists in East Africa.
Formed in 2018 after the Nusrah Front Terror Group broke off from Al Qaeda, Hurras Al-Din operates primarily in Syria's Idlib province and is thought to have as many as 2,500 members.
The group “is trying to support attacks on the West and Israel, banishing foreign influences from Muslim lands and setting the necessary conditions to form a new caliphate in the Levant and the wider Middle East.” and “possible threats to the US and others,” according to the NCC, Western interests outside Syria.”
