U.S. drone strike kills ISIS leader in Syria

A U.S. strike in northwestern Syria killed the leader of ISIS in Syria Tuesday, according to U.S. Central Command. 

The drone strike targeted Maher al-Agal, the leader of ISIS in Syria and one of the top five leaders of ISIS overall, and an unnamed senior ISIS leader who works closely with al-Agal was seriously injured in the strike, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. 

An initial review by the U.S. military indicated there were no civilian casualties in the strike. 

"ISIS continues to represent a threat to the U.S. and partners in the region," CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said in a statement.

He added that "CENTCOM maintains a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region and will continue to counter threats against regional security." 

In February, ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up during a U.S. military raid in Syria. 

Tuesday's strike comes as President Biden is about to leave for his first trip to the Middle East as president. 

Eleanor Watson

CBS News reporter covering the Pentagon.

Twitter

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.