US Forces Allegedly Capture ISIS Operatives in Syria Raid

U.S. forces captured three ISIS operatives during a helicopter raid in Syria over the weekend, U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, announced Wednesday.

In a late-night raid Saturday in eastern Syria, U.S. troops captured Hudayfah al Yemeni, whom CENTCOM described as an "ISIS attack facilitator," and two unnamed associates, according to a news release.

The release provided no further details about the operation, which CENTCOM said resulted in no civilian deaths or injuries.

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"Operations against ISIS are important for the security and stability of the region," CENTCOM spokesperson Col. Joe Buccino said in the release. "ISIS remains a threat to the region and beyond -- the group retains the capability to conduct operations in Iraq and Syria with a desire to strike beyond the Middle East, and its vile ideology remains a threat. Operations such as this one reaffirms our commitment to the enduring defeat of ISIS."

About 900 U.S. troops are in Syria on a stated mission of bolstering allied local militias to ensure ISIS does not resurge after dislodging the terrorist group from its strongholds in 2019.

The capture of al Yemeni is the latest of several recent U.S. operations in Syria. Last week, CENTCOM said a U.S. strike killed a senior ISIS leader named Khalid 'Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, who was allegedly responsible for planning attacks in Europe.

In February, U.S. forces said they'd also conducted two raids in Syria alongside their Syrian Democratic Forces partners. One of those raids, which resulted in the death of a senior ISIS leader named Hamza al-Homsi, also wounded four U.S. troops and a working dog. The other raid earlier that month killed an ISIS operative said to be involved in planning attacks on detention centers where members of the terrorist group are being held.

The U.S. troop presence in Syria has also been a flashpoint in U.S.-Iran tensions. Last month, a drone strike against U.S. forces believed to have been carried out by Iran-backed militias killed a U.S. contractor and wounded several U.S. troops. The U.S. retaliated with its own strikes against the militias it blamed for the drone attack, which in turn was followed by rocket fire against U.S. forces in Syria. The incidents resulted in at least six U.S. troops being diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

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