US Military captures ISIS official in Syria via helicopter raid.
U.S. forces captured an alleged high-ranking member of the ISIS terrorist group on Saturday, Sept. 23, during a helicopter raid in northern Syria.
According to a Monday press release by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the military component responsible for operations in the Middle East, central, and south Asia, Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, a suspected ISIS operational and facilitation official, was apprehended during the raid. CENTCOM believes that al-Fad’ani has extensive connections within the ISIS network in the region.
“The capture of ISIS officials like al-Fad’ani increases our ability to locate, target, and remove terrorists from the battlefield,” stated CENTCOM spokesperson Lt. Col. Troy Garlock. “USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
CENTCOM confirmed that no civilians were harmed during the raid.
NTD News reached out to CENTCOM for more information about the raid but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.
Counter-ISIS Mission Continues
Since 2014, U.S. forces have been actively involved in Operation Inherent Resolve, the official mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Approximately 2,500 troops are stationed in Iraq, while around 900 remain in Syria as part of this ongoing military operation.
At its peak, ISIS controlled significant territories in northern and western Iraq, as well as northeast Syria. Operation Inherent Resolve has made significant progress in weakening the terrorist group and targeting its leadership, but the mission is far from over.
This year, CENTCOM forces have carried out numerous raids and strikes against ISIS targets. In January, there were 43 “defeat-ISIS” missions, followed by 48 in February, 37 in March, 35 in April, 38 in May, 37 in June, 31 in July, and 36 in August.
In April, CENTCOM reported the killing of ISIS senior leader Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri in an air strike. Another suspected senior leader, Usamah al-Muhajir, was reported killed in a July air strike.
In addition to the recent capture of Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, U.S. forces successfully apprehended another suspected ISIS attack facilitator, Hudayfah al Yemeni, and two associates in an April helicopter raid.
On April 17, U.S. forces attempted to capture another suspected ISIS senior leader but were unsuccessful. CENTCOM believes that the target and two armed individuals were likely killed during the encounter. Fortunately, no U.S. troops or civilians were harmed.
While Operation Inherent Resolve has focused on combating ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the group has expanded its presence to other parts of the world. In Afghanistan, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) carried out a devastating suicide bombing in Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021, resulting in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and numerous civilians during the U.S. evacuation operations.
Last month, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed reports that a smuggler with ties to ISIS had assisted individuals in illegally crossing into the United States from Mexico. U.S. intelligence officials promptly disrupted the smuggling network, and there is no evidence linking the individuals to terrorist activities.
How might Abu Halil al-Fad’ani’s capture disrupt ISIS’s planning and coordination efforts?
