The US assassinated the leader of ISIS in Syria, Maher al-Agal, in an airstrike on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday afternoon.
مقتل شخص وإصابة آخر، بقصف لطائرة مسيّرة مجهولة، استهدف دراجة نارية يستقلانها في قرية خالطان بناحية جنديرس في ريف #حلب الشمالي، اليوم الثلاثاء 12 تموز، فرقنا تفقدت مكان الاستهداف وأمنته لحماية المدنيين. #الخوذ_البيضاء pic.twitter.com/0iig5WWDTF
— الدفاع المدني السوري (@SyriaCivilDefe) July 12, 2022
The strike targeted al-Agal, one of the top five leaders in ISIS, and a senior ISIS official nearby was seriously injured, according to CENTCOM.
Al-Agal was also responsible for "aggressively pursuing" the development of ISIS networks outside of Iraq and Syria.
"This strike reaffirms CENTCOM's steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS," said Col. Joe Buccino, a CENTCOM spokesperson. "The removal of these ISIS leaders will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further plot and carry out global attacks.
"ISIS continues to represent a threat to the US and partners in the region," he said. "CENTCOM maintains a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region and will continue to counter threats against regional security."
Earlier in the day, the White Helmets reported that one person was killed and another was injured when an unidentified drone targeted a motorcycle near Jindires in northwest Syria's Aleppo Governorate. The injured person has since died.
One of the people on the motorcycle was carrying an ID card with the name Khalid Subaih, according to Syrian media.
The reported assassination comes just a day before US President Joe Biden was set to begin his visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In June, US forces captured senior ISIS leader Hani Ahmed al-Kurdi in Syria.
In February, ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi killed himself and his family during a raid by US Special Forces in northern Syria. Al-Quraishi had led the movement since the death of its founder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was also killed when he detonated explosives during a US raid in 2019.