Topline
Four U.S. service members were injured Thursday during a helicopter raid in northeast Syria that killed senior ISIS leader Hamza al-Homsi, U.S. Central Command announced Friday.
Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) await a flight to Kabul, Afghanistan, … [+]
Key Facts
U.S. forces were injured after al-Homsi detonated an explosion in the service members’ vicinity, CENTCOM spokesman Army Col. Joe Buccino told Task & Purpose.
Military officials told CNN it’s unclear if the explosion was the result of a booby trap, a suicide vest or something else.
The service members are being treated for their injuries at a U.S. hospital in Iraq, alongside an injured working dog, Centcom said.
Three of the service members are in stable condition, the fourth suffered minor injuries and has returned to duty, a military official told CNN.
The operation was a joint venture carried out by U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Centcom said.
Key Background
The announcement comes days after Centcom reportedly killed Ibrahim Al Qahtani, an Isis official associated with planning Isis detention center attacks, during a raid on February 10. The raid involved both U.S. troops and the SDF, Task & Purpose reported. Multiple weapons, ammo and a suicide belt were seized during the operation, Centcom said. There are more than 10,000 Isis leaders and fighters in detention facilities throughout Syria, and more than 20,000 in Iraq, Centcom said, describing it as a “literal ‘Isis army’ in detention.” These raids are part of the U.S. military’s larger goal to “degrade the terror group’s ability to direct and inspire destabilizing attacks in the region and globally.”
Big Number
313. That’s how many operations against Isis were conducted in Iraq and Syria in 2022.
Further Reading
4 US Troops Wounded In Syria Raid That Killed Senior ISIS Leader On Thursday (CNN)
US Troops Kill ‘ISIS Official’ Involved In Planning Prison Breaks (Task & Purpose)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/02/17/4-us-service-members-injured-during-syrian-raid-that-killed-isis-leader/