U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that a precision airstrike in northwest Syria on June 19 killed Ali Hussein al-Oulawi, a senior leader in the Islamic State group. CENTCOM said the operation was part of its continuing effort to disrupt and eliminate terrorist leaders who threaten Americans and their allies.
In a statement, CENTCOM said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, declared, "CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out the remaining ISIS remnants to ensure its enduring defeat." He added, "We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, our allies and partners across the region."
The strike comes amid ongoing U.S. and allied operations against ISIS. Although the group was territorially defeated years ago, it still poses a major threat in the Middle East and beyond, operating underground rather than as a governing force.
The article also noted that in recent weeks Israel arrested a 20-year-old resident of Nahf who pledged loyalty to ISIS and planned an attack on IDF soldiers. It said the case illustrates that the threat from ISIS extends beyond Syria and Iraq, with recent plots and arrests also reported in places such as New York and Israel.
