CENTCOM announces the killing of an Al-Qaeda leader in a strike in Syria.
Welat TV – Erbil
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces conducted an operation on October 2 resulting in the death of a senior attack planner affiliated with al-Qaeda in Syria.
In a statement released on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, CENTCOM identified the target as Mohammed Abdul Wahhab al-Ahmad, a member of the Ansar al-Islam group—designated as a terrorist organization with close ties to al-Qaeda.
Quoting CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, the statement said: “U.S. forces in the Middle East remain prepared to disrupt and defeat terrorists’ efforts to plan, organize, and conduct attacks.We will continue to defend our homeland, our troops, and our allies and partners throughout the region and beyond.”
On Oct. 2, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a strike in Syria that resulted in the death of a senior Al-Qaeda affiliated attack planner.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 7, 2025
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The statement did not provide further details about the timing or location of the strike, or whether there were additional casualties. However, local sources reported that a senior Ansar al-Islam commander was killed late Friday, October 2, when a coalition drone strike hit a vehicle on the road between Harem and Barisha in northwestern Idlib.
According to the same sources, the strike targeted the vehicle of a commander known as Abu al-Dardaa, killing him and two of his escorts.
U.S. military officials continue to pursue operations against individuals linked to terrorist networks and organizations in Syria, aiming to prevent their activities that “pose a threat to regional and international security.”
Read also: Senior Ansar al-Islam Commander Killed in Idlib