Up to 35 ISIS operatives killed in US strikes in Syria, US military says
By Haley Britzky, CNN
(CNN) — Up to 35 ISIS operatives were killed in US strikes against multiple ISIS camps in Syria on Monday evening, the US military announced on Wednesday.
“US Central Command forces conducted a series of strikes against several known ISIS camps in Syria, in the early evening of Oct. 28, resulting in up to 35 ISIS operatives killed,” the release, posted on X, said. “The strikes targeted multiple ISIS locations in the Syrian desert, targeting multiple ISIS senior leaders.”
It is unclear if the targeted senior leaders were included in the 35 operatives killed. There are “no indications” of civilian casualties, CENTCOM said.
Monday’s strikes are the latest in what appears to be an uptick of operations against ISIS in the Middle East, which have now resulted in dozens of operatives being killed. Asked this month if the seemingly increased operations translated to ISIS regrouping in the region, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said their footprint “has spread to other parts of the world” but that it didn’t mean there was a resurgence, only “that they still remain a threat.”
Less than a week ago, US and Iraq forces carried out an operation against ISIS operatives in Anbar province in Iraq; two days earlier, a separate raid and strikes on multiple ISIS locations in central Iraq killed at least seven operatives and left two US service members wounded.
The two wounded Americans have since been transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center for follow-on care. A third US service member was being assessed for traumatic brain injury.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Security Forces killed four ISIS members, including a senior leader. And in August, 14 militants were killed in a joint US-Iraqi forces raid, including four ISIS leaders.
The joint US-Iraq raids after Iraq postponed announcing the end of the US-led military coalition’s presence in the country due to “recent development” in the region. There are roughly 2,500 US troops in Iraq operating to advise and assist Iraqi forces.
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