An “experienced terrorist” with ties to Al-Qaeda in Syria was killed in a US strike following last month's deadly Islamic State ambush that claimed the lives of three Americans.
Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was targeted in the third wave of retaliatory action ordered by President Donald Trump, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warning “we will not relent”.
US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed its forces in northwest Syria on Friday had successfully eliminated the militant who "plotted attacks" and knew the gunmen behind the December 13 attack in Palmyra.
Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter working alongside coalition forces were killed at the site, renowned for its Unesco-listed ancient ruins, which was previously held by jihadist forces.
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National Guardsmen Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, Iowa, and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, Iowa, were killed in the attack.
Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a civilian interpreter from Macomb, Michigan, also lost his life in the incident.
Syrian authorities subsequently revealed that the IS gunman was a member of their security forces who had been scheduled for dismissal due to his extremist Islamist views.
At least three Syrian personnel sustained injuries during the ambush.
The US has killed an 'experienced terrorist' with ties to Al-Qaeda in a Syrian strike
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Admiral Brad Cooper, Centcom commander, issued a stark warning following the operation that killed al-Jasim.
"The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces."
He continued: "There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you."
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced this message in a post on X, stating: "We will never forget, and never relent."
The strike followed the killing of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter by Isis in Syria
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'We will never forget, and never relent,' US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned
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President Trump had previously described earlier strikes as "very serious retaliation" for the ambush.
The Friday strike formed part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, a broader campaign targeting Islamic State militants attempting to regroup following the overthrow of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Trump ordered the operation against "Isis thugs" seeking to reorganise in the power vacuum.
According to Centcom, American and allied forces, including Jordan and Syria, have struck more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons sites using over 200 precision munitions.
President Donald Trump previously promised 'very serious retaliation' for the attacks on US personnel
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Earlier this month, RAF jets carried out a joint air strike with French forces on an underground Islamic State facility in Syria.
Intelligence analysis recently identified the subterranean site in the mountains north of the ancient city of Palmyra, believed to have been used by the group to store weapons and explosives.
On the evening of January 3, RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft, supported by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, joined French jets in a coordinated strike on the site.
“This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East,” Defence Secretary John Healey MP said.
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