U.S. Central Command announced Monday that the U.S. Military has captured an operator for the Islamic State in a helicopter raid in northern Syria, according to a statement.
“U.S. Central Command forces successfully conducted a helicopter raid in northern Syria, Sept. 23, 2023. Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, an ISIS Syria Operational and Facilitation official, was captured during the raid,” the statement said. “Al-Fad’ani was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region.”
Al-Fad’ani was believed to have extensive connections within the ISIS network in the region, according to the statement. His capture, which took place on Saturday, has heightened the U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the area to pursue further members of the group.
US military announces it captured ISIS official in Syria helicopter raid https://t.co/uJrwSsnYtm
— CNN (@CNN) September 25, 2023
“The capture of ISIS officials like al-Fad’ani increases our ability to locate, target, and remove terrorist from the battlefield,” CENTCOM spokesperson Lt. Col. Troy Garlock said. “USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.” (RELATED: ‘How Is It Possible?’: Doocy Presses KJP On Report Of ISIS Sympathizer Smuggling Illegal Immigrants Into US)
No civilians were killed or harmed during the helicopter raid, the release noted.
The U.S. has roughly 900 troops stationed in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to defeat ISIS, ABC News reported. Reports of the capture coincided with the announcement of a curfew imposed by Kurdish forces supported by the U.S. Syrian media and activists reported that the Syrian Democratic Forces enforced this curfew on Monday in various towns within the Deir el-Zour province. In addition, the restriction was extended to Ziban, a town located near the Iraqi border, which has hosted a substantial U.S. military presence since 2015.