US forces have captured an “ISIS attack facilitator” and two of his associates during a helicopter raid on Saturday in eastern Syria.
Pentagon ( Photo: NBC News )
Hudayfah al Yemeni, the operative, and his associates’ capture will hinder ISIS’s ability to plan and conduct operations
The arrest comes after US and coalition forces detained more than a dozen ISIS operatives in Iraq and Syria, killing nine in March. CENTCOM released a statement at the start of April claiming that a total of 37 operations by US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria led to the capture of 18 operatives, with at least eight of them involved in plans to attack ISIS detention facilities in Syria.
Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, a senior ISIS leader who had planned attacks in Europe and developed the organization’s leadership structure, was killed in a raid earlier this month. In a joint partner helicopter raid in February, another senior ISIS leader, Hamza al-Homsi, was killed, and four US troops and a US working dog were wounded.
US Central Command’s Colonel Joe Buccino said in Wednesday’s release that operations against ISIS are vital for regional security and stability
“ISIS remains a threat to the region and beyond – the group retains the capability to conduct operations in Iraq and Syria with a desire to strike beyond the Middle East, and its vile ideology remains a threat,” Buccino said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley visited troops in northeast Syria for the first time as chairman last month. The latest capture reinforces the US military’s commitment to defeating ISIS, according to Buccino.
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