US, Syrian forces capture ISIS official in helicopter raid
U.S. and allied Syrian forces apprehended an ISIS official in a helicopter raid in eastern Syria on Saturday, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The raid resulted in the capture of Batar, an ISIS Syria Province official who was reportedly involved in planning attacks on detention centers guarded by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and manufacturing improvised explosive devices, CENTCOM said in a press release.
"Extensive planning went into this operation to ensure its successful execution," officials wrote.
They also noted that no civilians, Syrian Defense soldiers, or U.S. forces were killed or injured in the raid. They did not, however, provide additional information or evidence against Batar.
CENTCOM claimed in a second release, shared on Twitter, that coalition forces were attacked by rockets in northern Syria on Saturday — but no injuries or equipment losses were reported.
No one had claimed responsibility for the attack as of Saturday evening, and officials are investigating the incident, according to the statement.
The most recent event comes just two days after four American soldiers and a combat dog were injured in a separate helicopter raid that killed senior ISIS leader Hamza al-Homsi.
U.S. forces also killed a key ISIS figure in Somalia in late January. Bilal al-Sudani, an operative and facilitator for ISIS’s international network, had been involved in helping expand the terrorist organization in Afghanistan and across Africa.