US kills Al-Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria, Centcom says

US military forces on Friday killed an Al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to a Daesh attack on Americans in Syria last month, US Central Command ⁠said in a statement on Saturday. (File)
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Updated 18 January 2026
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US kills Al-Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria, Centcom says

  • Bilal Hasan Al-Jasim had “direct ties” to a Daesh gunman who killed and injured US and Syrian ⁠personnel

WASHINGTON: US military forces on Friday killed an Al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to a Daesh attack on Americans in Syria last month, US Central Command ⁠said in a statement on Saturday.
Bilal Hasan Al-Jasim had “direct ties” to a Daesh gunman who killed and injured US and Syrian ⁠personnel on December 13 in Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, ⁠the head of US Central Command, in a statement.
Since the December 13 attack, US forces have been conducting strikes in Syria, with the US military saying it has hit more than 100 Daesh targets.


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