U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that a U.S. strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, a terrorist leader described as affiliated with al Qaeda and directly linked to the ISIS attacker behind a Dec. 13 ambush in Palmyra that left two U.S. service members and an American interpreter dead.
CENTCOM officials said al-Jasim was an experienced operative who helped plan attacks and had “direct ties” to the ISIS gunman who killed and injured U.S. and Syrian personnel during the December assault.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
CENTCOM said it launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack. The U.S. troops killed and wounded in the ambush were members of the Iowa National Guard, according to a senior U.S. official.
Operation Hawkeye Strike, CENTCOM said, involved U.S. and partner forces striking more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons-site targets using more than 200 precision munitions.
Over the past year, more than 300 ISIS operatives were captured and more than 20 were killed across Syria, CENTCOM said.
Separately, U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and members of their team in Damascus on Jan. 10 to discuss developments in Aleppo and Syria’s political transition.
In a statement on X, Barrack said President Donald Trump agreed to lift sanctions to “give Syria a chance” to move forward.
“The United States Government welcomes Syria’s historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as it works to stabilize the country, rebuild national institutions, and fulfill the aspirations of all Syrians for peace, security, and prosperity,” Barrack wrote.
Barrack added that the Syrian government reaffirmed its commitment to the March 2025 integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but said developments in Aleppo that “appear to challenge the terms of this agreement” were “deeply concerning.”
“We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue in accordance with the March 10 and April 1, 2025 agreements between the Syrian government and the SDF,” Barrack wrote.
“Violence risks undermining the progress achieved since the fall of the Assad regime and invites external interference that serves no party’s interests. … The objective remains a sovereign, unified Syria — at peace with itself and its neighbors — where equality, justice, and opportunity are extended to all its people.”
