Senior ISIS Leader Killed in U.S. Airstrike in Northwest Syria

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces killed a senior ISIS leader in a precision airstrike in northwest Syria, as the terror group seeks to exploit the country’s unstable security environment following years of war and political upheaval.

The strike, conducted on June 19, killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, whom CENTCOM identified as a senior Islamic State leader. The command said the operation was part of continuing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans overseas or threaten the U.S. homeland.

“CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. “We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and allies and partners across the region.”

The airstrike comes as ISIS has declared a renewed phase of operations in Syria, including attacks against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The militant group has claimed a series of attacks since February, including a recent assault near Manbij in Syria’s northeastern Aleppo province.

ISIS once controlled large portions of Syria and Iraq at the height of its power during the Syrian civil war, ruling over millions under a brutal Islamist regime before being driven from its territorial strongholds by the U.S.-led coalition and regional forces.

Yet the group has continued to operate through sleeper cells, insurgent networks, and prison-camp radicalization, particularly in areas where governance remains weak.

Syria’s already fragile security situation became more complicated after the December 2024 fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, which triggered a scramble among rival armed factions to control territory across the country. A recent Inspector General report found that shifting front lines earlier this year allowed roughly 150 ISIS detainees to escape custody.

U.S. forces also secured the Panorama detention facility in northeastern Syria and later transferred more than 5,000 ISIS detainees from Syria to government-run facilities in Iraq, according to the report.

The same report warned that as many as 20,000 residents left the al-Hol displacement camp — long known for housing ISIS family members and affiliates — without adequate monitoring, raising renewed concerns that extremist networks could regroup.

The security picture has also been complicated by the discovery of previously hidden chemical weapons material, creating fears that dangerous substances could be sold on the black market or fall into the hands of terror groups.

Although American forces have reduced their footprint in Syria after a decade of operations under Operation Inherent Resolve, CENTCOM’s latest strike demonstrates that Washington continues to reserve the ability to target ISIS leaders when they pose a threat to U.S. personnel, regional allies, or the American homeland.

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