US carries out fresh helicopter raid in Syria, captures top ISIS official

United States military has declared that it carried out a helicopter operation in eastern Syria on Saturday, resulting in apprehension of a top official associated with ISIS. In a press release issued by US Central Command (CENTCOM), it was revealed that operation involved US forces collaborating with Syrian Democratic Forces to capture an ISIS member identified as Batar.  CENTCOM ded that Batar h been "involved in planning attacks on SDF-guarded detention centers and manufacturing improvised explosive devices".   

statement ded that re were casualties or injuries reported among civilians, Syrian troops, or US personnel. However, CENTCOM released ar statement following initial one, indicating that coalition forces h been attacked by rockets in rast Syria on same day, but fortunately, injuries were reported. This news arrives after CENTCOM anunced that four US service members were wounded in a separate raid that killed a senior ISIS leer.

four service members are being treated

Hamza al-Homsi, a senior leer of Islamic State, was killed during that helicopter raid in eastern Syria. As per a statement by CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Bucci to Fox News Digital, al-Homsi was in charge of group's dely terrorist network in region. During raid, four US service members and a working dog were injured and are currently receiving medical treatment at a US facility in Iraq, according to same CENTCOM statement. Sinam Moham, representative of Syrian Democratic Council to United States, has expressed her belief that US presence in rastern Syria remains crucial to defeating ISIS threat. 

Rise and fall of ISIS

ISIS (also kwn as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Daesh) emerged in Syria in 2013 as a splinter group from al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its goal was to establish a caliphate in Middle East and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law on territories it controlled. ISIS quickly gained control of large swas of Syria and Iraq, including cities of Raqqa, Mosul, and Fallujah. Its tactics were brutal, with group carrying out public executions, beheings, and crucifixions of those who opposed it. ISIS also generated significant revenue through extortion, looting, and sale of oil and antiquities.

group's rise to power was facilitated by ongoing Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. ISIS took vant of power vacuum created by conflict to establish its presence in Syria. It also received funding and support from wealthy individuals and extremist groups in Gulf states. However, in 2014, a US-led coalition was formed to fight ISIS, and in 2015, coalition launched a campaign of airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. In dition, Syrian government forces and ir allies, including Russia, also fought against ISIS in Syria.

Over years, ISIS grually lost territory in both Syria and Iraq. Raqqa, group's de facto capital, was liberated by a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters in 2017. In same year, Iraqi forces retook Mosul, and in 2018, Syrian government forces regained control of most of territory formerly held by ISIS. Despite group's loss of territory, ISIS remains a threat in Syria and continues to carry out sporic attacks against government and civilian targets. group also maintains a presence in Iraq and has spre its operations to or parts of world, including Africa and Asia.