US kills al Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria, Centcom says

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 - U.S. military forces on Friday killed an al Qaeda affiliate leader linked to an Islamic State attack on Americans in Syria last month, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Saturday.

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim had "direct ties" to an ISIS gunman who killed and injured U.S. and Syrian personnel on December 13 in Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, in a statement. 

Since the December 13 attack, U.S. forces have been conducting strikes in Syria, with the U.S. military saying it has hit more than 100 ISIS targets. 

"We will never forget, and never relent," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an X post that included Centcom's statement. REUTERS