U.S. forces in Syria captured two Islamic State (ISIS) militants during a raid with Syrian partner militias, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a Sunday statement.
CENTCOM fighters and partner troops from an unnamed Syrian resistance group raided an unspecified location in eastern Syria on Saturday with combined helicopter and ground assault units, the statement said. The roughly 900 U.S. forces have continued to strike at ISIS forces persisting in Syria, usually in concert with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to Politico.
“This operation reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS,” CENTCOM spokesperson Col. Joe Buccino said in the statement. “The capture will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out attacks that threaten regional security and stability.”
The captured ISIS-Syria members Abdallah Hamid Muslih al-Maddad, also known as Abu Hamza al-Suri, and Husam Hamid al-Muslih al-Maddad, al-Khayr are described as ISIS facilitators, and the latter also served as a logistician, according to the statement. U.S. forces also captured one unnamed associate, while a civilian received minor injuries during the course of the raid.
The injured civilian received medical treatment at a nearby facility, accompanied by a family member and an SDF escort, the statement said. He was later released back to his family.
The raid came a day after three attack drones struck a garrison in Syria housing both U.S. troops and members of the Syrian Free Army partner force, injuring two of the resistance fighters but no American troops, according to a statement. CENTCOM did not attribute the attacks but warned that such incidents jeopardize the ongoing fight against ISIS.
U.S.-Syria coalition partners captured an ISIS member described as a “provincial media and security operative” during a Jan. 18 a helicopter raid in eastern Syria, according to a statement.
“ISIS represents a threat to our partners and to the people of Iraq and Syria and beyond,” Buccino said in the statement Saturday. “Our mission to defeat ISIS alongside our [SDF] partners continues.”
U.S. and Syrian partners conducted 108 joint operations in Syria throughout 2022, capturing 215 ISIS militants and killing an additional 466 when solo U.S. operations are counted, according to a year-end summary from CENTCOM.
“Our local partners — the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Iraqi Security Forces — have and continue to play a critical role ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” the summary said.
CENTCOM commanders hailed the skill and determination of Syrian militias to root out and apprehend or kill ISIS operatives, the summary showed. Militants continue to target the al-Hol refugee camp and the more than two dozen detention centers housing 10,000 captured ISIS fighters, which SDF forces are responsible for securing.
CENTCOM did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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