US increases anti-ISIS missions in Syria, catches senior terrorist
An ISIS leader in Syria has been captured by U.S. and coalition forces over his role in helping Islamic State terrorists following their escape from a top detention facility, defense officials said Monday as the U.S. ramps up its operations against ISIS.
Forces from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday captured Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal after he was found to have been aiding the terrorist organization in carrying out one of its chief objectives, to free detained militant fighters and revive ISIS.
Al-Dandal, deemed by CENTCOM as an "ISIS facilitator," helped to aid five ISIS terrorists following their escape on Thursday from the Raqqah Detention Facility, though it is unclear if he also aided in securing their flight from the prison.
Syrian Kurdish security forces stand by as former detainees suspected of being members of the Islamic State group are released in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh on Sept. 2, 2024. (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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SDF fighters have recaptured two of the ISIS militants, including Imam Abdulwahed Akhwan, who is Russian, and Muhammad Noh Muhammad, a Libyan.
One other Russian, Timor Talbrken Abdash, and two Afghans, Shuab Muhammad Al-Abdli and Atal Khaled Zar, remain at large.
"Over 9,000 ISIS detainees remain in over 20 SDF detention facilities in Syria, a literal and figurative ‘ISIS Army’ in detention," CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement. "If a large number of these ISIS fighters escaped, it would pose an extreme danger to the region and beyond.
"We will continue to work with the international community to repatriate these ISIS fighters to their countries of origin for final adjudication," he added.
The news of the latest arrest came just four days after U.S. and Iraqi forces carried out a raid on ISIS leaders in Western Iraq on Aug. 29, when 15 ISIS terrorists were killed, according to CENTCOM.
The operation aimed to "disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," CENTCOM said in a post on X on Friday.
Iraqi army soldiers celebrate as they hold a flag of the Islamic State group they captured during a military operation to regain control of a village outside Mosul, Iraq, Nov. 29, 2016. Ten years after the Islamic State group declared its caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria, the extremists now control no land, have lost many prominent founding leaders and are mostly away from the world news headlines. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)
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"The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts," the command added, noting no civilians were injured in the operation.
The U.S., in coordination with allied forces in the Middle East, have carried out some 200 operations against ISIS this year alone, including airstrikes and raids, Dr. Rebecca Grant, vice president of the Lexington Institute in Washington, D.C., told Fox News.
"The ‘Defeat ISIS Mission’ has actually been very active because ISIS attacks in that region, around Iraq and Syria, have been on the upswing," she said, calling the operation a "real success."
Seven U.S. soldiers were injured in the operation, though the extent of their injuries remains unknown.
U.S. Army soldiers prepare to go out on patrol from a remote combat outpost on May 25, 2021 in northeastern Syria. U.S. forces, part of Task Force WARCLUB, operate from combat outposts in the area, coordinating with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in combatting residual ISIS extremists and deterring pro-Iranian militia. (John Moore/Getty Images)
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"During the operation, five U.S. personnel were wounded. One of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment. Two additional U.S. personnel were injured from falls during the operation, with one also evacuated out of theater for follow-on care. All personnel are in stable condition," a U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital.
CENTCOM says it remains "committed" to working with coalition partners in the Middle East to "defeat" ISIS and ensure stability in the region.
Liz Friden and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
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