The U.S. military conducted a military drone operation in Syria on Monday that killed a senior ISIS fighter, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement early Tuesday.

This is Khaled Aid Ahmad al-Jaburi, who was in charge of planning ISIS attacks in Europe and developed the ISIS leadership structure, the statement said, adding that his death would “temporarily disrupt the organization’s ability to plan external attacks.”

CENTCOM forces launched a one-sided strike in Syria, killing a senior ISIS leader responsible for planning attacks in Europe. pic.twitter.com/hwVjqdUTee

— US Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 4, 2023

CENTCOM said no civilians were killed or injured in the attack, adding that ISIS “continues to pose a threat to the region and beyond.”

The attack was the latest in a series of attacks in recent years targeting al-Qaeda-linked fighters and senior members of the Islamic State group in northwest Syria.

Most of those killed in U.S. strikes in the rebel-held province of Idlib in recent years were members of the al-Qaeda offshoot Khoras al-Din, which means “Guardians of the Faith” in Arabic. The group includes al-Qaeda hardliners who have splintered from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the most powerful rebel group in Idlib province.

At the same time, ISIS has multiplied its deadly attacks in the country in recent months, despite the loss of all its strongholds in Syria and despite the blows it has received from forces from both Damascus and Moscow, as well as the US-led anti-Jihadist coalition.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), the jihadist group, which previously controlled large areas of Syria, is taking advantage of rural residents leaving their villages to harvest and target truffles.

Source: Reuters, Associated Press, AFP.