US forces kill terror leader linked to ambush on Americans in Syria

U.S. forces on Friday killed a terror leader in Syria who officials say had ties to the ISIS insurgent who carried out a Dec. 13 ambush there that killed two Iowa National Guardsmen and one U.S. civilian, U.S. Central Command announced.

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who U.S. officials called “an experienced terrorist leader” who also had ties to al-Qaida, was killed in a Jan. 16 strike in northwest Syria, a release stated.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a release. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”

Iowa Guardsmen Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Grimes, were killed by a lone gunman in the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra. Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is currently deployed to the region in support of ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. citizen serving as an interpreter, was also killed in the attack.

The U.S. military announced on Dec. 30 that it had carried out a series of retaliatory operations against the Islamic State in Syria, resulting in the death or detention of “nearly 25 ISIS operatives,” according to U.S. Central Command.

Over a nine-day period last month, U.S. and allied forces conducted 11 operations that killed at least seven ISIS fighters and destroyed four of the group’s weapons caches, according to a release.

The operations followed Operation Hawkeye Strike, a campaign — named for the two soldiers from the “Hawkeye State” — that involved U.S. and Jordanian forces striking more than 70 targets with over 100 precision-guided munitions, the military said.

Officials noted at the time that the operation included A-10 attack jets, F-15 Eagle fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

Central Command said in December that ISIS had inspired at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States throughout 2025.

In response, CENTCOM said its partner operations in Syria, which number more than 80 over the past six months, have resulted in more than 300 insurgents being detained and over 20 killed.

The Dec. 13 ambush, meanwhile, marked the first combat deaths during Trump’s second term and the first such attack since the government of former Syrian President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December 2024.