US kills ISIS leader Abu Yusif in precision strike in Syria

ISIS leader Abu Yusif was eliminated in a precision strike by the US Central Command forces on Thursday, CENTCOM announced Friday afternoon.

Another unnamed ISIS operative was also eliminated in the strike.

CENTCOM Forces Kill ISIS Leader During Precision Strike in SyriaOn Dec. 19, U.S. Central Command Forces conducted a precision airstrike targeting ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud in the Dayr az Zawr Province, Syria resulting in two ISIS operatives killed, including Abu… pic.twitter.com/g3nO68Ye1T

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 20, 2024

The area where the strike happened was previously controlled by the Assad regime and Russia, according to CENTCOM.

US official speaks out on the strike

“As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute," said CENTCOM commander Michael Erik Kurilla.

"ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria," he continued. "We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria."

The report of Yusif's elimination comes a few days after the US also eliminated 12 other ISIS terrorists in Syria via precision strikes, with CENTCOM saying that these strikes are to ""disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, preventing the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek opportunities to reconstitute in central Syria." 

In early December, Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by Syrian rebel forces after a presidency of 24 years.