CENTCOM Airstrike Kills Senior ISIS Leader Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi in Northwest Syria

NORTHWEST SYRIA — U.S. Central Command forces conducted a precision airstrike in northwest Syria on June 19 that killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, identified by the command as a senior ISIS leader.

The strike forms part of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate individuals the command says are seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland. The command’s forces continue to work alongside regional partners.

On June 22, the command reported that Adm. Brad Cooper, the command’s commander, described mission achievements against ISIS and Iran during the first half of the year in town-halls with headquarters staff in Tampa. The command’s statement included remarks from Adm. Brad Cooper.

Related Incidents in Syria Mid-June

UN Security Council briefings on Syria state that on June 15 the group attacked an internal security facility in Raqqa, killing one security officer and wounding several others.

The same briefings note that on June 16 ISIS severely injured a judicial official in rural Damascus.

These incidents occurred as Syrian security officials conducted extensive counter-terrorism operations across the country, including a multi-month campaign that led to arrests of ISIL operatives and seizure of weapons and explosives.

What to Watch

• Subsequent U.S. Central Command public releases or statements on counter-ISIS operations in Syria and Iraq for updates on the June 19 strike or related activities.

• Official statements from Syrian security or government sources on the June 15 and June 16 ISIS attacks and ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

• CENTCOM updates following Adm. Brad Cooper’s recent town-halls for any further details on first-half of the year mission achievements against ISIS.

Official Statements

• Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, June 22 town-hall context, quote included in June 24 CENTCOM release: “CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat. We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and allies and partners across the region.”