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On Thursday, forces assigned to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out an air strike in Syria that removed one Abu Kusif, a leader of the Islamic State, or ISIS. CENTCOM confirmed the strike and its result in an X post on Friday afternoon.

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The text of the post reads in full:

On Dec. 19, U.S. Central Command Forces conducted a precision airstrike targeting ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud in the Dayr az Zawr Province, Syria resulting in two ISIS operatives killed, including Abu Yusif.

This airstrike is part of CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.

This strike was conducted in an area formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians.

“As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute. ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria. We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander.

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This happens as American officials are already meeting with the leaders of the Syrian opposition group that has recently seized control of that country. The United States appears, for now at least, to be establishing a diplomatic relationship with the new Syrian government.

The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf. She was accompanied by former U.S. envoy to Syria Daniel Rubinstein who will stay in Syria as the top U.S. diplomat on the ground. 

  • The State Department envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens also joined the delegation.

Interestingly, the leader of that opposition, one Ahmad al-Sharaa, has been designated as a terrorist by the United States.

Part of CENTCOM’s mission is to degrade ISIS and its allies in the region as much as possible, as noted by Gen. Kurilla. It’s not clear from CENTCOM’s statement above or from Syria’s new acting government whether or not Thursday’s strike was carried out with the aid or even the knowledge of that new government.

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While the deletion of ISIS leaders like Abu Yusif is never a bad idea, we should watch developments in Syria with some caution. This is a part of the world where, all too often, there are just not any good answers. The old analogy of the scorpion and the frog all too often applies to this region.

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