US Forces Kill ISIS Leader in Syria Airstrike: CENTCOM
The United States has killed senior ISIS leader Ali Husayn al-‘Ulaywi in a precision airstrike in northwestern Syria, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
In a statement posted on X on June 24, CENTCOM said the strike was carried out on June 19 as part of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists who pose threats to Americans both overseas and at home.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the U.S. military will continue working closely with regional partners to eliminate the remaining ISIS elements and ensure the group's lasting defeat.
“We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and our allies and partners across the region,” Cooper stated.
ISIS Intensifies Activity in Syria
ISIS has recently announced a new phase of operations in Syria and has carried out several attacks against the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa since February.
Al-Sharaa, a former jihadist leader, previously headed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which originated as the Al-Nusra Front, once affiliated with al-Qaeda. Last year, Syria’s government joined the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against ISIS.
On June 20, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria’s Aleppo province.
At the height of its power during Syria’s civil war, ISIS controlled more than a quarter of the country before being driven from its territory by a U.S.-led international coalition.
US Targets ISIS Financial Networks
The U.S. State Department announced new sanctions on June 22 aimed at disrupting ISIS’s global financial operations.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the sanctions target three individuals and six entities operating across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. According to Pigott, the network helped ISIS move money across borders, stretching from France and Syria to Türkiye and Nigeria.
“Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is dismantling ISIS’s ability to finance terrorism worldwide,” Pigott said.
He added that Washington is working to cut off the financial channels that enable ISIS to fund attacks, support regional affiliates, and threaten civilians, including religious minorities.
Operation Hawkeye Strike
In December 2025, U.S. forces launched a series of strikes against ISIS infrastructure in Syria following an ambush near Palmyra that killed two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter and wounded three others.
Following the attack, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the military response as “not the beginning of a war—it is a declaration of vengeance.”
The operation, known as Operation Hawkeye Strike, was ordered by President Donald Trump and targeted more than 70 ISIS-related sites across Syria. The mission involved fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery, with support from the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Although officials did not disclose the number of militants killed, Hegseth said that U.S. and partner forces conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq after the December 13 attack, resulting in the deaths or capture of 23 terrorist operatives.
In a statement at the time, Hegseth warned that anyone targeting Americans would face relentless pursuit by the United States.
“We will hunt you, find you, and bring you to justice,” he said.