U.S. forces killed a terrorist operative linked to al Qaeda who was directly connected to a December ambush that killed two American service members and a civilian interpreter in Syria, the Pentagon announced Saturday.
U.S. Central Command said that a strike in northwest Syria on Jan. 16 resulted in the death of Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, described as an “experienced terrorist leader” linked to the Islamic State gunman who killed three Americans in the Dec. 13 ambush.
The Islamic State and al Qaeda traditionally have been rivals, not partners, and have fought against one another over the past decade. The statement from CENTCOM suggests that the two individuals involved — al-Jasim and the ISIS gunman — were both involved in the attack, but does not say that the two terrorist organizations are working together in Syria more broadly.
Al-Jasim’s specific status in al Qaeda also isn’t clear. The Pentagon statement described him as a “leader affiliated with al Qaeda.”
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
The U.S. carried out large-scale strikes in Syria last month after the Dec. 13 ambush. American forces hit more than 100 sites used by ISIS, the Pentagon said.
The ISIS gunman was killed during the Dec. 13 attack.
