US Airstrike Targets Al-Qaeda in Idlib

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a precision airstrike on February 23, 2025, killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, a senior leader of Hurras al-Din, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in Idlib province, Syria. This operation was part of the International Coalition Against ISIS and targeted the group's operations in northwest Syria. The strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing efforts to disrupt and degrade terrorist activities in the region, with General Michael Erik Kurilla affirming the United States' commitment to defending its homeland and allied interests. The airstrike occurred shortly after another successful operation that eliminated a senior financial and logistics official of the same group. Hurras al-Din, with an estimated 2,500 fighters, adheres to Salafi-jihadist ideology and seeks to establish a new caliphate across the Middle East. The group's leader, Faruq al-Suri, remains a high-value target with a significant bounty on his head.