CENTCOM: U.S. Forces Conduct Nearly 80 Anti-ISIS Operations in Syria Over Six Months

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that U.S. and partner forces in Syria have carried out nearly 80 military operations over the past six months targeting ISIS remnants, as part of what it described as an aggressive campaign to prevent the group from regenerating and threatening U.S. interests at home and abroad.

According to CENTCOM, the operations, conducted since July, resulted in the detention of 119 terrorists and the killing of 14 ISIS operatives. The command said the campaign was launched in response to at least 11 ISIS-inspired plots or attacks against targets inside the United States over the past year.

In a statement, CENTCOM said U.S. forces remain committed to disrupting ISIS networks and denying the group the ability to reorganize. “We are steadfast in our relentless pursuit of terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our interests abroad,” said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper. “Operations in Syria are critical for preventing ISIS from regenerating and posing a significant threat. We will root out and eliminate terrorist jihadists wherever they hide.”

CENTCOM highlighted several major operations during the period. In September, U.S. forces conducted a raid in Syria that resulted in the killing of senior ISIS operative Omar Abdul Qader, whom the command said was actively seeking to carry out attacks against the United States.

Last month, U.S. military personnel from Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, working in coordination with the Syrian Ministry of Interior, located and destroyed more than 15 sites containing ISIS weapons caches in southern Syria. The joint operation destroyed more than 130 mortars and rockets, along with rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines, and materials used to manufacture improvised explosive devices.

“We have now had multiple instances of collaboration with the Syrian government to counter specific ISIS threats,” Cooper said. “These are the types of tangible security gains we can make on the ground through close cooperation with Syrian government forces.”

CENTCOM also disclosed details of a July raid in al-Bab, in Syria’s Aleppo Governorate, during which U.S. forces killed senior ISIS leader Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, along with his two adult sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani. The command said the individuals posed a direct threat to U.S. forces, coalition partners, and the Syrian government.

“Deploying our forces to take out these individuals makes America and the region safer,” Cooper said, adding that U.S. forces will continue to work closely with Syrian partners to hunt down ISIS networks and prevent their resurgence.

The intensified U.S. military campaign in Syria comes amid significant political developments in Washington related to Syria policy. on Wednesday, the U.S. Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, with a total defense budget of $901 billion, by a vote of 77 to 20.

The legislation includes a provision to repeal sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act. After passing the Senate and the House of Representatives, the bill is expected to be sent to the White House for the president’s signature.

Commenting on the move, Syrian-American Council political affairs chief Mohammad Alaa Ghanem said the repeal represents an unconditional end to the Caesar Act, which was enacted in 2019. Economic expert Firas Haddad said the full repeal would mark a fundamental shift, ending the pursuit of individuals and companies dealing with Syria and opening the door to broader economic activity.

Against this backdrop, CENTCOM officials stressed that counterterrorism operations in Syria remain a core priority for U.S. forces, regardless of evolving political and economic dynamics, as part of ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from re-emerging as a regional or global threat.