US carries out lethal strike against al Qaeda affiliate leader in Syria
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- The US conducted a lethal strike in Syria targeting Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an al Qaeda affiliate leader linked to an ISIS attacker responsible for killing three Americans in December 2025.
- CENTCOM confirmed al-Jasim’s direct connection to the ISIS gunman who killed two US service members and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra, Syria, and described him as an experienced terrorist leader.
- The strike is part of "Operation Hawkeye Strike," a US campaign retaliating against ISIS, which has targeted over 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites since the December attack.
- Despite the attack, ISIS has not claimed responsibility, and Syrian officials have distanced the gunman from the Syrian government, which has received recent American support.
