US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday that CENTCOM and its partner forces conducted operations in Iraq and Syria, from December 30 to January 6, in support of the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization.
“From December 30 to January 6, CENTCOM and Iraqi forces conducted multiple strikes in the Hamrin mountains of Iraq, targeting known ISIS locations,” the CENTCOM statement said.
“The operations served to disrupt and degrade ISIS’ ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians in the region, as well as US citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond. During the operations, ISIS fighters engaged Coalition forces on several occasions, resulting in the employment of Coalition air strikes, using F-16s, F-15s, and A-10s. The A-10s tasked to support ground forces in the area were successful in eliminating the ISIS fighters within a cave,” it added.
The statement said that one Coalition member was killed and two were wounded from two different nations during the operations. “There were no injuries to US personnel or damage to US equipment,” it stressed.
From January 2 to January 3, the statement added, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), enabled by CENTCOM forces, conducted an operation against ISAIS near Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, resulting in the capture of an ISIS attack cell leader.
“Partnered operations like these are critical to maintaining pressure on ISIS and preventing the terrorist group from taking advantage of the rapidly changing security environment in the region. The enduring defeat of ISIS is a global effort that relies on our Coalition, allies, and partners. US Central Command remains committed to aggressively pursuing these terrorists that threaten the region, our allies, and our citizens,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM Commander.
ISIS overran large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in land it controlled.
Several military offensives, including ones backed by a US-led international coalition, have since seen ISIS lose most areas it once controlled, including the loss of their de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.
However, ISIS sleeper cells remain in the area and continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq. The US deploys troops in Syria as part of its effort to defeat ISIS in the region.
The international coalition led by the US has eliminated numerous ISIS terrorists in air strikes in Syria and Iraq in recent years, including the group’s leader in eastern Syria, who was eliminated in a strike in July of 2023.
The Pentagon confirmed in December that the US has more than doubled its troop presence in Syria to combat ISIS, with approximately 2,000 US forces now stationed there—up from the long-reported figure of 900.