WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday it had captured an operator for the Islamic State extremist group during a helicopter raid in northern Syria.
The operator, Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, “was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The U.S. has approximately 900 troops in Syria focused on countering the remnants of the Islamic State group, which had held a wide swath of Syria until 2019.
News of the capture came as U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew after continued skirmishes with rival Arab militiamen.
Political Cartoons View All 1179 ImagesSyria remains in a bloody 12-year civil war that has killed a half-million people.
Persons:
Abu Halil al, “, Troy Garlock, Bashar Assad
Organizations:
WASHINGTON, State, ISIS, U.S . Central Command, Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces
Locations:
Syria, U.S, Col, Kurdish, Deir el, Zour, Ziban, Damascus, United States