US Army: 37 Islamist Militants Killed in Syria

The US Army announced that during two targeted airstrikes in Syria this month, 37 Islamist militants were killed. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) emphasized in a statement on Sunday, October 8, that several senior leaders of terrorist organizations based in Syria, including the Islamic State (ISIS) and the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Huras al-Din, were killed during these attacks. According to the statement, no civilians were harmed in these strikes. CENTCOM described the airstrikes as part of the US Central Command and its allies' commitment in the region to weaken and disrupt terrorist efforts aimed at planning, organizing, and executing attacks against civilians and US military personnel and their allies. CENTCOM reported that this month, a targeted attack in northwestern Syria killed 9 members of the terrorist group Huras al-Din. The US Central Command identified Huras al-Din as an al-Qaeda-affiliated group based in Syria that seeks to attack US and Western interests. Additionally, in another airstrike, CENTCOM targeted a remote training camp belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, killing 28 of its forces, including at least four of its leaders. The US Central Command stated in July that the number of attacks by the ISIS terrorist group in the first six months of this year was more than double the total number of attacks in the previous year. The US military's cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces led to the capture of a fleeing ISIS leader. The US Department of Defense stated that changes in the US military posture will impact the calculations of the Iranian government. CENTCOM also reported that it destroyed 3 Houthi drones from Yemen and intercepted 2 cruise missiles and an unmanned surface vessel from the Houthis.