US says strike in Syria killed plotter of Islamic State attacks

Tony Czuczka, Bloomberg News on Jan 17, 2026

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A U.S. strike in Syria killed an “experienced terrorist leader” with links to an Islamic State attacker who killed three Americans in an ambush in the city of Palmyra in December, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim “plotted attacks and was directly connected with the ISIS gunman” who carried out the Dec. 13 attack, which killed two U.S. service members and a civilian interpreter, according to Centcom.

The strike in northwestern Syria on Friday “demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in the statement.

U.S. forces have been carrying out large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack, hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure targets and weapons sites, Centcom said. U.S. and partner forces have also captured more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed more than 20 across Syria over the past year.

A day after the attack, President Donald Trump vowed to do “big damage” to the militants behind it. He emphasized the Islamic State link while praising Syria’s government, which the U.S has embraced as an ally after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in December 2024.