A MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle prepares to land after a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
On November 7 afternoon, a suspected US drone strike killed a man allegedly affiliated with ISIS in the Turkish-occupied Syrian town of Jarabulus in northern Aleppo.
The man was killed on the spot. His body was shredded into pieces as a result of the strike. The remains of a US-made AGM-114 Hellfire were found at the scene of the strike. The missile was likely of the R9X variant which is armed with a kinetic warhead with pop-out blades instead of explosives.
عاجل : طائرة مسيرة تستهدف مدينة جرابلس بصاروخ ذكي والحصيلة الأولية قتيل و3 اصابات. #Suriye #Turkey #Syria #acil #Patlama #Paket #haber #Jarabulus #Karkamış #Cerablus #Gaziantep pic.twitter.com/i3vVFkrsg6
— free syria news أخبار سوريا المحرر (@free_sy_news) November 7, 2021
Syrian activists said that the man killed in the strike was a senior commander of ISIS who recently moved from the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib to Jarabulus. The man was identified by some sources as “Abu Abdu al-Hamoui”.
Less than two weeks ago, several fully-armed US MQ-9 combat drones were spotted over Greater Idlib, which is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
If confirmed, this will be the third US drone strike to target a wanted terrorist in Turkish-occupied areas in northern and northeastern Syria.
On October 22, Abdul Hamid al-Matar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda’s Horas al-Din, was killed in a drone strike that targeted the town of Suluk in northern Raqqa. On October 25, Sabahi Ibrahim al-Muslih, a cochairman of ISIS Shura Council, was killed in a strike that targeted a position of Turkish-backed militants near the town of Ras al-Ain in northern a-Hasakah.
Later on November 3, six members of ISIS were reportedly arrested from the town of Aluq near Ras al-Ain by US special forces in an air landing operation.
In the last few years, Turkish-occupied areas in Syria became a safe haven for ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorists. Turkish-backed militants continue to shelter wanted terrorists without facing any real consequences.
Americans be like: ISIS/AQ are of no use anymore, we have PKK/YPG now!
Assad is somewhat ok by SDF but Assad is much more authoritarian than them.
Oy vey…
Isrealhell will be very mad at its attack T follows dogs killing of its soldiers. I’m sure as night follows day, Gayboy Bennett will be sending his high mossad honcho to berate US military Planners about this