File image.
Early on February 3, a suspected US special force landed from several helicopters near the northern Syrian town of Atimah right on the border line with Turkey.
The force came from the direction of Syria’s northeastern region, where the US-led coalition maintains a number of bases.
After landing, the force, which was backed by several attack helicopters, combat drones and fighter jet, engaged in fierce clashes with unidentified militants while apparently carrying out a kill or capture operation.
عملية إنزال مباشر اطمة pic.twitter.com/u5PlFq7eEb
— همام عيسى (@humam_isa) February 2, 2022
#عاجل
إحتراق منزل يختبئ فيه مطلوبين للتحالف الدولي إثر قصفه من قبل طائرات مروحية تتبع للتحالف الدولي لأكثر من 5 مرات pic.twitter.com/71srfKvRmL— همام عيسى (@humam_isa) February 2, 2022
اشتباكات تستخدم فيها القذائف الصاروخية pic.twitter.com/HFoUFogsPd
— همام عيسى (@humam_isa) February 2, 2022
لحد الان هوية الشخصية المستهدفة من العملية #مجهول #مجهووووووول #مجهووووووووووووووووووووووووول. pic.twitter.com/egfyAwgl62
— همام عيسى (@humam_isa) February 3, 2022
عاجل|| طيران مروحي تابع للتحالف الدولي يستهدف بالرشاشات الثقيلة منطقة الإنزال الجوي القريبة من معبر دير بلوط بريف إدلب الشمالي وأصوات الانفجارات يسمع صداها من مسافات بعيدة pic.twitter.com/eK447MP1Fx
— Mohamed Aldaher (@Mohamed2Aldaher) February 2, 2022
The clashes lasted for around two hours. Sputnik and several other news sources reported casualties in the ranks of the attacking force, which eventually withdrew towards the Turkish border.
Atimah is located in the northeastern part of Greater Idlib, along the separation line with Turkish-occupied Afrin. The town is a stronghold of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of the region.
On 26 October 2019, a force from the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) killed ISIS founder and leader Abu Baker al-Baghdadi in a similar landing operation in Greater Idlib. The operation, codenamed “Operation Kayla Mueller,” took place in the town of Barisha that is located near the Turkish border, just like Atimah.
The target of the suspected kill or capture operation in Atimah was likely a senior terrorist like ISIS current leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, or the leader of al-Qaeda’s Horas al-Din Abu Humam al-Shami.
While HTS leader Abu Mohamad al-Julani is wanted by the US, it is unlikely that he was the target of the operation. The US has not targeted any personnel or assets of HTS for more than three years now.
