Following a weekend airstrike in Syria targeting a leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din, the President lauded U.S. forces.
“U.S. forces conducted a precision airstrike against an al-Qaeda member in Syria this weekend,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This terrorist leader was working with al-Qaeda throughout the region.”
“Congratulations to CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, and the U.S. warfighters who delivered justice to another Jihadi threatening America and our allies and partners,” he added.
U.S. Central Command reported that on Saturday, a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria eliminated a senior Hurras al-Din (HaD) finance and logistics official. HaD is an Al-Qaeda affiliate.
CENTCOM stated the airstrike aligned with its ongoing commitment, alongside regional partners, to disrupt terrorist efforts to plan and execute attacks against U.S., allied, and partner personnel.
“We will relentlessly pursue terrorists to defend our homeland and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said.
Hurras al-Din, formed in 2018 from a Nusrah Front splinter group, operates mainly in Syria’s Idlib Province and may have up to 2,500 members, according to the National Counterterrorism Center.
The center noted Hurras al-Din advocates attacks against the West and Israel to remove foreign influence from Muslim lands, aiming to establish a caliphate across the Levant and wider Middle East.
“Despite its weakened state following personnel losses since 2019, Hurras al-Din retains access to long-standing al-Qaeda members, potentially posing a threat to U.S. and other Western interests outside Syria,” the center added.