US Kills Senior Al Qaeda-Linked Attack Planner

The United States military killed a senior al Qaeda-affiliated attack planner last week in Syria, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced on Tuesday.

Centcom said its forces conducted a strike on Oct. 2 that killed Muhammad Abd-al-Wahhab al-Ahmad, who the U.S. military says was a member of Ansar al-Islam, an al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group.

“U.S. forces in the Middle East remain postured to disrupt and defeat efforts by terrorists to plan, organize and conduct attacks,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We will continue to defend our homeland, warfighters, allies and partners throughout the region and beyond,” Cooper added.

It is unclear in which part of Syria al-Ahmad was killed. The Hill has reached out to Centcom for additional information.

A U.S. airstrike killed a senior al Qaeda-affiliated leader in Northwest Syria earlier this year. Centcom said its forces killed Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, a senior military leader of the Hurras al-Din, in February.

The U.S. military began withdrawing hundreds of service members from Syria in April, looking to bring the number to fewer than 1,000.

“Recognizing the success the United States has had against ISIS, including its 2019 territorial defeat under President Trump, today the Secretary of Defense directed the consolidation of U.S. forces in Syria under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve to select locations in Syria,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said at the time.