The US military conducted an airstrike in northwestern Syria last week that killed a senior ISIS leader, US Central Command said on Wednesday. The strike, carried out on Friday, was part "of ongoing US efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the US homeland" and killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, it said in a statement on X. ISIS has declared a new phase of operations in Syria against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, carrying out a spate of attacks since February. Last year, Sharaa's government joined the US-led coalition fighting ISIS. On Saturday, the militant group claimed responsibility for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria's northeastern Aleppo province. ISIS controlled around a quarter or more of Syria at the peak of its power during the Syrian civil war a decade ago, before being driven out of the territory by a US-led coalition and other foes.
