US airstrikes on Syria kill 37 militants affiliated with extremist groups

The US military reported on Sunday that two US airstrikes in Syria had killed 37 extremists connected to both an al-Qaeda-affiliated group and the Islamic State. Two of the deceased were reportedly senior militants. The Hurras al-Deen group, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, and eight other prominent militants were the targets of a Tuesday strike, according to the U.S. Central Command. They claim he was in charge of managing military operations.

28 militants, including “at least four Syrian leaders,” were killed on September 16 in a “large-scale airstrike” on an IS training camp in an undisclosed location in central Syria, according to Central Command. The statement claimed that the airstrike would “disturb ISIS’ ability to conduct operations against U.S. interests, as well as our allies and partners.”

Along with an unknown number of contractors, the approximately 900 American soldiers in Syria are primarily tasked with preventing a resurgence by the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS), which ravaged both countries in 2014, seizing vast tracts of land.

In northeastern Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are one of the main partners of the United States. They are situated close to important locations where militant organizations supported by Iran are active, notably a vital border crossing with Iraq.