US Airstrike Kills Senior Hurras al-Din Leader in Northwest Syria

On February 23, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, the senior military leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din. This operation is part of CENTCOM's ongoing efforts to disrupt terrorist activities aimed at U.S. and allied personnel in the region. The strike was not publicly disclosed until March 1, and it follows a series of targeted attacks on Hurras al-Din's leadership, including the killing of another leader, Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar, just days earlier. General Michael Erik Kurilla emphasized the U.S. commitment to pursuing terrorists in order to protect national and regional security. Hurras al-Din emerged during the Syrian Civil War but announced its dissolution following the fall of the Assad regime, although U.S. operations against its members have intensified. The airstrike underscores the U.S. military's ongoing role in combating extremist groups in Syria, alongside efforts against ISIS remnants.