Mowing The Lawn: Maintaining Operations Against ISIS In Syria And Iraq

Written by Nolan R Beasley

In light of the recent announcement by the US and Iraq on September 27, 2024 regarding the unfortunate, inevitable, and impending cessation of the Defeat-ISIS mission, we review the recent operations and successes of the pursuit in comparison to instances attributed to ISIS during the same timeframe [A].

In the continued context of perpetual war in the Middle East, with media and public focus squarely on the Israeli conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, it is of importance to note that American forces maintain a presence in the region in order to restrict the growth and operations of ISIS and the al-Qaida affiliate Hurras al-Din. These undertakings are mostly devised and driven alongside of the Iraqi Security Forces (armed by the Replublic of Iraq) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (Kurdish managed multi-faction militia). Recent operations have increasingly targeted these ISIS and al-Qaida adversaries, but are just a continuation of the mission to prevent these organizations from successfully launching operations or regaining territory. In a sense, US forces are mowing a metaphorical lawn, ensuring constraints on these organizations. Now however, the September 27 announced agreement demonstrates that American forces are dedicated to concluding the mission in Iraq by September 2025 and within Syria by the same month in 2026 1.

The operations of this mission are not waning. In recent years they have only increased in order to prevent ISIS from achieving previous heights and ambitions. Numbers of militants captured or killed have decreased though, and may indicate that the operations are becoming more specific and able to target individuals known as dangerous operatives, as opposed to organized fighting units or mobs of combatants.

2022

In 2022 for example the US conducted 191 combined operations in Iraq and 108 combined operations in Syria, plus 14 separate operations driven by Americans only within Syria 2. These engagements resulted in 466 operatives in Syria and an estimated 220 in Iraq eliminated; with 374 total captured: 159 in Iraq and 215 in Syria. This included Amir Mohamed Said Abdulrahman al-Mawli al-Salbi, the successor to original ISIS “Caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, slain during an American raid in Syria during February, when an explosive in his possession detonated before he could be apprehended 3. Shortly after his ascension to power, he was designated as a terrorist by the US Department of States under his name and the aliases Abu Omar al-Turkmani and Hajji Abdullah 4. Far from a figurehead, he was known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, and was reportedly in strict operational control of the organization. A powerful ideologue and operator, Abu Ibrahim was with ISIS at their origins, and was interesting in that he was a Turkmen from Tal Afar, Iraq as opposed to an Arab like most of their senior leaders . He was wanted by the US for his actions and had previously been captured in March 2004 during the insurgency, being held at the US managed Camp Bucca 5.

The missions also included a “meticulously” plotted American incursion into Aleppo, Syria, in which senior ISIS explosives coordinator, instructor, and manufacturer Hani Ahmed al-Kurdi, also known to facilitate attacks on US and allied operators in the region, was captured 6. Two helicopters swept into the region, offloading their adroit contingent of commandos into the village of Humaira, who then engaged for seven minutes in combat with the inhabitants of a targeted compound on the outskirts of the village, before returning with their prey: al-Kurdi 7. Oddly, there appeared to be no civilian casualties, or any deaths at all, with the Kurdish ISIS facilitator the only apprehended militant. A precision drone strike followed on July 12, eliminating the overall ISIS governor of Syrian territory, Maher al-Agal, as he traversed near Jindayris in northwestern Syria, an operation hailed by US CENTCOM as neutralizing a “top five” member of the network, known for militant ambitions outside of just Syria and Iraq 8. The strike on his motorcycle critically wounded an associate of Agal’s, who may have later succumbed to his injuries. Agal was known to have previously operated in Raqqa and from 2020 onward, to have been based along the Turkish border with forces therein 9.

Northeastern Syria saw an American helicopter raid result in the death of senior ISIS personnel and arms smuggler Rakan Wahid al-Shammari on the night of October 5, with the wounding and capture of an additional three of his associates 10. This was notable for its location within Syrian government and Russian held territory, and while the CENTCOM report is vague about this, witnesses described the boldness of the helicopter landing in the village of Muluk Saray, demanding villagers remain inside homes, and the abduction of a man the locals thought was a foreign shepherd 11. A following American airstrike in northern Syria on October 6 eliminated two officials, including Abu Hashum al-Umawi, the ISIS deputy governor of Syria 12.

Not to ignore their contributions, but successful raids were also orchestrated by other movements in areas controlled by the Syrian regime. The third “Caliph” of ISIS, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, faced fate on October 15. He perished in an operation conducted by ambiguous combatants supposedly of the Free Syrian Army, but composed of militias then aligned with the Syrian government, against compounds in Jasim village, south of Damascus in the Daraa province, wherein three ISIS operatives, an Iraqi, Syrian, and a Lebanese were killed 13. The primary target once again detonated explosives against his own person. The assailing forces did not intially realize the importance of the slain operative, but ISIS acknowledged his demise on November 30, a statement immediately confirmed by US CENTCOM 14. He was an obscure fellow, although his identity appears to have been Nour Abdulkarim al-Mutni al-Obaidi al-Rifai, from Rawa in the Anbar Province of Iraq, and was also a member tracing his origins to the days of Zarqawi 15. Further, he too was of the generation that fought with Zarqawi, and was known as Abu Abdulrahman al-Iraqi and Saif al-Baghdad 16. [B]

American forces concluded the year with another unilateral helicopter raid, this time in eastern Syria on December 11, which killed two more ISIS officials, one of which was known as Anas, a facilitator and plotter of operations in the east 17. Three final combined raids were completed in eastern Syria on December 20, apprehending six operatives, one of which was known by his surname al-Zubaidi, and was also a senior facilitator and provincial officer 18.

2022 Operations: Iraq2022 Operations: Syria
191 partnered operations108 partnered operations
0 American unilateral operations14 American unilateral operations
220 ISIS operatives killed466 ISIS operatives killed
159 ISIS operatives detained215 ISIS operatives detained

*313 Operations Total with 686 killed and 374 captured

2023 Operations: Iraq 2023 Operations: Syria 
295 partnered operations 126 partnered operations 
0 American unilateral operations 6 American unilateral operations 
81 ISIS operatives killed 24 ISIS operatives killed 
164 ISIS operatives detained 352 ISIS operatives detained 

  **NO DECEMBER 2023 numbers reported by US CENTCOM – 427 Operations Total with 105 killed and 526 captured.

2023

By contrast for operations officially reported in 2023 (which consisted of eleven months, January through November [2023]) there were 295 combined raids conducted by the Americans and Iraqis, 126 combined raids with the SDF, and six unilateral American missions. In Iraq, 81 operatives were killed and 164 apprehended. In Syria, 24 ISIS fighters and leaders were eliminated, with 352 captured.

Of note in Syria, 2023 began with a January combined operation in eastern Syria to capture an unnamed ISIS media, recruiting, and security official 19. Days later was a notable January 21 combined ground and air operation that netted two ISIS facilitators and logisticians, Abu Hamza al-Suri (Abdullah Hamid Musleh al-Maddad) and his apparent brother Hussam Hamid Musleh al-Maddad 20. This was followed by a huge boon, in which the SDF conducted a remarkable mission, supported by American intelligence, aerial power, and surveillance, to sweep over eighty hostile locations. The commander of the former ISIS capital Raqqa, named Atallah al-Maithan, was captured along with 67 subordinates. The Kurdish forces were responding to a December series of attacks that killed six SDF fighters. Maithan was responsible for intimidation of the local populace and for maintaining hidden ISIS units within Raqqa until his removal 21. A detention facility was among the facilities targeted by ISIS in December. Thus, on February 18, a combined helicopter assault managed to capture an operative known as Battar, suspected of plotting attacks on SDF detention facilities and for the manufacturing of explosive devices 22. As mentioned, not all operatives were obtained peacefully.

A prominent but mostly unmentioned drone strike, perpetrated in a sparsely populated region of Idlib province, Syria assassinated the vastly influential Abu Sarah al-Iraqi, known as Abdulrauf al-Muhajir, the administrator of the General Directorate of Provinces, which is the entity the links ISIS provinces together, as well as controls and empowers them 23. Subsequent reporting identified him as Ali Jasim Salman al-Jabouri, and that as the GDP overseer, he was granted with significant influence and power within the organization 24. As manager of this vital office, his letters demonstrated the direct central ISIS control of their outlying provinces 25.

A helicopter raid alongside the SDF on the night of February 16 resulted in an explosion, killing the mark, an operative known as Hamza al-Homsi, but also wounding four American soldiers and a military canine 26. This led into a violent spring. A unilateral American airstrike in Syria on April 4 targeted and neutralized Khalid Ayed Ahmed al-Jabouri, responsible for developing and maintaining ISIS command structure and preparing potential terroristic actions on the European continent 27. The drone strike occurred in Kili, Idlib province, as the newly arrived man, believed to be a journalist by locals, spoke on his cellular phone 28. In the midst of the spring barrage of raids, a successful capture occured on April 8, as helicopters descended in eastern Syria, departing with ISIS facilitator Abu Huzaifa al-Yemeni and two of his men 29. Thereafter on April 17, a unilateral American helicopter raid targeted and eliminated the Syria based Abdulhadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali, a known operational commander and planner responsible for plots in the Middle East and Europe 30. He was in the midst of coordinating foreign abductions in order to further ISIS gains. Of note, the raid was launched from an allied Kurdish base of operations and perpetrated against a stronghold of a Turkish supported militant organization 31. Eight others detained in April were on course to disrupt and attack detention facilities in Syria, harkening back to the ISIS aim to liberate its imprisoned adherents 32 .

A July 7 drone strike was successfully completed against Osama al-Muhajir, and ISIS official in eastern Syria, despite the fact that the drones involved were harrassed by Russian aircraft for hours during the mission 33.

A September 23 helicopter operation in northern Syria resulted in the apprehending of ISIS operator and facilitator Abu Halil al-Fadani, who was described as well connected throughout the terrorist network 34. on September 28, ISIS facilitator Mamduh Ibrahim al-Haji Shaikh was captured, also in a helicopter raid, in the north of the country 35.

2024

From January to June 2024, American units conducted 137 operations against ISIS partnered with the Iraqi Security Forces, plus 56 operations with the Syrian Democratic Forces. A total of 30 ISIS operatives were killed in Iraq, with 74 captured, while in Syria, 14 were killed and 92 apprehended36. It was claimed that eight of those killed were primary functionaries of the network, with 32 of the prisoners being important members. They were responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. During the same timeframe, ISIS perpetrated 153 of its own operations in Syria and Iraq, representing the potential to double the number from 2023, and startlingly displaying the need for continued strikes against their assets and commanders 37. That being said, independent research noted the success of the campaign also, describing a drastic decline in ISIS claimed attacks in both Syria and Iraq from their apexes in 2020 and 2021 respectively 38. The accomplishment of the decline may be attributed to the attrition in leadership suffered by the militants. Among the most prominent removed in the first half of the year was Osama Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim al-Janabi, described as a senior official and facilitator, who perished in an American airstrike in Syria, performed on 16 June 39. There appears to be no further reporting on Janabi in order to verify his history with the group.

First Half 2024 Operations: Iraq First Half 2024 Operations: Syria 
137 partnered operations 56 partnered operations (with SDF and “others”)
0 American unilateral operations ? – American unilateral operations – may be included in above 56 total
30 ISIS operatives killed 14 ISIS operatives killed 
74 ISIS operatives detained 92 ISIS operatives detained 

  **193 Operations Total with 44 killed and 166 captured in First Half of 2024 alone.

In the time since the press release detailing the early 2024 operations, CENTCOM has continued to pressure ISIS in their nests. Dawn of August 29, brought word that American troops and Iraqi Security Forces had descended upon one of these nests in western Iraq, culminating in a battle which killed 15 ISIS militants, armed with an array of weapony to include suicide vests 40. Only later was it revealed that the operation was the most significant and vast coordinated strike of the Defeat-ISIS mission in years, with US Special Forces and Army Rangers, joined by their Iraqi counterparts, numbering some 200 total, scouring miles of fortifications and bunkers to clear the ISIS threat in Anbar province 41. Among the fallen was the ISIS governor of Iraqi, Ahmed Hamid Hussain Abduljalil al-Ithawi, his deputy Abu Hussam, operational overseer of western Iraq, and Shakir Abed Ahmed al-Issawi, military commander of western Iraq 42. The fourth and final senior commander killed in the raids was Abu Ali al-Tunisi, renown for his design and construction of explosive devices, as well as the instruction he provided pertaining to them, resulting in his being designated as the senior most ISIS explosives expert 43. This distinction earned Abu Ali a page on the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice site with a $5 million bounty 44. The State Department highlighted the Tunisian’s proficiency with suicide vests, IEDs, and even the development of chemical weapons. This was the first ISIS member to be removed from the Rewards for Justice listings since the “Caliph” Abu Ibrahim in February 2022, as described above. Seven US soldiers were wounded, five in the direct fighting, and two others in falls that occurred during the raid 45.

Simultaneously in Raqqa, Syria, ISIS again disrupted ongoings at a detention facility, precipitating the escapes of five associated militants. The SDF rapidly apprehended two of the miscreants, a Russian Imam Abdulwahid Akhwan and a Libyan Mohamed Noh Mohamed. The three remaining escapees were assisted by ISIS official and facilitator Khalid Ahmed al-Dandal, before he too was captured, this time in a September 1 dawn raid conducted by American and SDF forces 46. Russian Timor Talbarken Abdash and his Afghan comrades Shuaib Mohamed Al-Abdli and Atal Khalid Zar remained at large 47.

Soon thereafter, on September 13, CENTCOM succinctly reported the neutralization of an ISIS operative as he attemtped to plant an IED to be utilized against American forces or SDF in eastern Syria, thus preventing a retaliatory attack 48. Later on September 16, in what was described as a “large-scale” American airstrike, an ISIS training camp in a sparsely populated area of central Syria was decimated, eliminating 28 combatants, in an effort to reduce ISIS rejuvenation capabilities 49. This began what appears to be a concerted effort to erase such facilities from Syria while in the reach of US forces.

As an example, US CENTCOM reported a “series” of such strikes against multiple ISIS camps in Syria on the morning of October 11, however did not provide casualty estimates, other than denying any sort of civilian collateral damage 50. Most recently, at dusk on October 28, another round of American airstrikes obliterated various ISIS outposts in the Syrian desert, aimed at senior leadership, resulting in 35 militants deceased 51.

Finally, during recent operations in Iraq, CENTCOM enabled Iraqi Security Forces to neutralize a significant threat in the north, via the assistance and guidance of Combinted Joint Task Force – Inherent Resolve. ISF airstrikes under the auspices of CJTF-Operation Inherent Resolve support targeted and eliminated Shahadhah Allawi Saleh Ulaywi al-Bajjari, known simply as Abu Issa, and the governor of Kirkuk, thus making him the most prominent ISIS figure in northern Iraq 52. He was killed on October 14 along with three other militants in a redoubt stocked with suicide vests and extensive weaponry 53. The reporting difference is sudden and obvious. CENTCOM wanted to highlight the ISF role in the the operation, downplaying the American dominance of the mission, and referring to the Combined effort between the two nations. This was to provide assurance that the ISF could continue to handle the necessary missions to prevent a resurgence of ISIS. As such, similar to Syria, the ISF, under and supported by CTJF-OIR delivered airstrikes against various ISIS facilities in central Iraq, with subsequent ground raids 54. This resulted in seven operatives killed, and again CENTCOM ensured that the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service, National Security Service, and the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, all received proper credit for the success, although it was also acknowledged that two US servicemembers were wounded in action during the fray 55. A subsequent statement from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, confirmed by the Iraqi Prime Minister, concluded that nine senior militant officials were killed, to include the new ISIS governor of Iraq, known as Jasim al-Mazroui Abu Abdulqadir 56. The targeted redoubts were positioned in the Hamrin mountains, but were unable to withstand the assaults, with security analysts emphasizing that Mazroui had only helmed the Iraqi ISIS province for a relatively miniscule time 57. That is not to lessen the importance of his removal, but rather to emphasize the success of the frequent raids in reducing ISIS capacity in the region. Ahmed Hamid al-Ithawi, the previous reported ISIS governor for Iraq had been killed just prior in similar operations.

The US Department of State noted that beginning in 2022, ISIS was attempting to reestablish in particular Iraqi provinces, including Anbar and Kirkuk (also Diyala, Ninewa, and Salahaldin), which demonstrates why the Combined forces were eager to remove the ISIS proclaimed governors of these locales 58. In fact, the raids increased with a noticeable urgency across the entire region.

Recently, on November 4, CENTCOM offered some clarification as to their recent operations in the time since the massive August 29 raid. During this period, combined forces in Syria and Iraq conducted 95 missions, resulting in the capture of 33 and deaths of 163 ISIS militants 59. This included 30 of some significance, several of which we discussed in the above paragraphs.

In conclusion, it can be observed that the maintained operations are a necessity in precluding ISIS of the capabilities to destabilize the region yet again. Although ISIS continues to claim international attacks, they are often via their provinces in the Khorasan and throughout Africa, specifically in areas where unstable governments are not capable of curbing the branches’ growths. ISIS currently lack the unhindered territory and safety from which to plot out of Iraq or Syria, namely due to the pressure exerted by US and allied forces. Iraqi and Syrian forces are competent and efficient in maintaining this pressure, but face a host of other potential problems in doing so, especially in Syria where the SDF is likely to be engaged against various other militias, or the Syrian or Turkish governments. There is a distinct need for American forces to remain and persist in the training and operations that have enabled the ISF and SDF to be so successful, and that have prevented ISIS from rejuvenating and transforming into the monstrous entity that they once were. ISIS will be able to replace leaders eventually, but the pace at which US and coalition operations have neutralized these officials is untenable for the militants, as is displayed in the obvious decline in their attacks within Syria or Iraq. But what happens during surges and counters from the extremists? As was seen in 2024, the sudden realization that ISIS was attempting to increase the occurrence of their operations directly led directly to the recent American helmed raids that have yet again dismantled the leadership of these networks. Without the American leadership and presence, would the local SDF and ISF been able to adequately reduce and destroy ISIS infrastructure, personnel, and equipment? It is yet another example of why American expertise and commitment is needed for success against the jihadists. While that opinion may be view as inherently arrogant, the simple fact is that historical evidence suggests that the lack of American intervention leads to a dearth in counterterrorism abilities and options. This is most poignantly seen in Iraq just prior to the rise of ISIS, and in Afghanistan as the Taliban conquered the nation in a matter of days after the departure of US forces. A massive occupation is not needed, but a stabilizing remining force has been repeatedly proven as beneficial. Otherwise, the consequences of an expanding and rejuvenated ISIS may be severe.

CITATIONS and SUBSTANTIVE NOTES:

  • [A] ISIS is a misnomer and the network is correctly known as either the Islamic State, the Arabic acronym Da’ish, or ISIL (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). However, the appellattion ISIS will continue to be used in this article simply due to public familitarity.
  • [B] The fourth ISIS “Caliph” Abu Hussain al-Hussaini al-Quraishi and the fifth “Caliph” Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi will be recounted in a separate article, as their narratives do not entirely fit into the context of this article.
  1. https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-announcing-the-timeline-for-the-end-of-the-military-mission-of-the-global-coalition-to-defeat-isis-in-iraq/ ↩︎
  2. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3255908/centcom-year-in-review-2022-the-fight-against-isis/ ↩︎
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/03/world/us-raid-syria-isis ↩︎
  4. https://2017-2021.state.gov/terrorist-designation-of-isis-leader-amir-muhammad-said-abdal-rahman-al-mawla/ ↩︎
  5. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/20/isis-leader-confirmed-amir-mohammed-abdul-rahman-al-mawli-al-salbi ↩︎
  6. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/News-Article-View/Article/3065554/officials-identify-detained-senior-isis-leader/ ↩︎
  7. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61824059 ↩︎
  8. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3089938/strike-conducted-in-syria/ ↩︎
  9. https://www.risetopeace.org/2022/07/26/what-the-death-of-maher-al-agal-means-for-the-future-of-the-islamic-state/risetopece/ ↩︎
  10. https://www.newsweek.com/us-confirms-raid-against-isis-syria-near-front-russia-1749481 ↩︎
  11. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-tv-says-rare-us-raid-government-held-zone-kills-one-2022-10-06/ ↩︎
  12. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/10/06/us-raid-isis-syria/ ↩︎
  13. https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrian-rebels-didnt-know-jihadist-they-killed-was-islamic-state-leader/ ↩︎
  14. https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-middle-east-syria-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-omar-87bc87ae6fcc0171c6db4b2666b647a9 ↩︎
  15. https://www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/a-brief-biography-of-abu-al-hasan ↩︎
  16. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/caliphs-of-the-shadows-the-islamic-states-leaders-post-mawla/ ↩︎
  17. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3242381/us-raid-kills-isis-officials-in-syria/ ↩︎
  18. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3250937/uscentcom-conducts-three-raids-in-eastern-syria/ ↩︎
  19. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3272227/centcom-conducts-a-partnered-d-isis-operation-with-the-syrian-democratic-forces/ ↩︎
  20. https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2023-01-22/isis-militants-captured-syria-centcom-8853474.html ↩︎
  21. https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/01/26/Syrian-Kurdish-forces-arrest-ISIS-commander-dozens-of-extremists-in-eastern-region ↩︎
  22. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/18/politics/us-helicopter-raid-isis-syria/index.html ↩︎
  23. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/the-general-directorate-of-provinces-managing-the-islamic-states-global-network/ ↩︎
  24. https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/08/04/islamic-state-confirms-death-of-yet-another-leader-appoints-new-caliph/ ↩︎
  25. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/the-general-directorate-of-provinces-managing-the-islamic-states-global-network/ ↩︎
  26. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3301701/isis-senior-leader-killed-and-four-us-servicemembers-wounded-in-helicopter-raid/ ↩︎
  27. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3350738/strike-kills-isis-leader-in-syria/ ↩︎
  28. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65172448 ↩︎
  29. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3360141/centcom-forces-capture-isis-operative-in-helicopter-raid/ ↩︎
  30. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3365217/centcom-confirms-isis-senior-leader-killed-in-a-helicopter-raid-in-northern-syr/ ↩︎
  31. https://apnews.com/article/syria-american-raid-islamic-state-458ad7942afb2ace33cfbbee64ec4816 ↩︎
  32. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3351042/centcom-month-in-review-march-2023-the-fight-against-isis-in-iraq-and-syria/ ↩︎
  33. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3452128/us-airstrike-targets-isis-leader-in-eastern-syria/ ↩︎
  34. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3536692/helicopter-raid-in-northern-syria-targets-isis-official/ ↩︎
  35. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3544081/helicopter-raid-in-northern-syria-captures-isis-official/ ↩︎
  36. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3840981/defeat-isis-mission-in-iraq-and-syria-for-january-june-2024/ ↩︎
  37. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3840981/ ↩︎
  38. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/one-year-islamic-state-worldwide-activity-map ↩︎
  39. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/STATEMENTS/Statements-View/Article/3812439/us-central-command-airstrike-in-syria-kills-senior-isis-official/ ↩︎
  40. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3891857/ ↩︎
  41. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/us/politics/iraq-raid-isis-leaders-killed.html ↩︎
  42. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3906113/centcom-confirms-isis-leaders-killed-in-raid-partnered-with-iraqi-security-forc/ ↩︎
  43. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/us/politics/iraq-raid-isis-leaders-killed.html ↩︎
  44. https://editorials.voa.gov/a/reward-for-information-on-isis-leader-abu-ali-al-tunisi/7466616.html ↩︎
  45. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/15-suspected-isis-militants-killed-in-joint-u-s-iraq-raid ↩︎
  46. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3891985/centcom-forces-partner-with-syrian-democratic-forces-to-capture-isis-leader-and/ ↩︎
  47. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3891985/centcom-forces-partner-with-syrian-democratic-forces-to-capture-isis-leader-and/ ↩︎
  48. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/STATEMENTS/Statements-View/Article/3904905/us-central-command-forces-kill-isis-operative/ ↩︎
  49. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3920298/us-central-command-conducts-targeted-strikes-against-terrorist-groups-in-syria/ ↩︎
  50. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3934398/us-central-command-conducts-airstrikes-against-multiple-isis-camps-in-syria/ ↩︎
  51. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3951025/us-central-command-conducts-airstrikes-against-several-isis-camps-in-syria/ ↩︎
  52. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3939218/iraqi-security-forces-partnered-with-combined-joint-task-force-operation-inhere/v ↩︎
  53. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3939218/iraqi-security-forces-partnered-with-combined-joint-task-force-operation-inhere/ ↩︎
  54. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3943013/iraqi-security-forces-target-kill-multiple-senior-isis-members-with-support-fro/ ↩︎
  55. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3943013/iraqi-security-forces-target-kill-multiple-senior-isis-members-with-support-fro/ ↩︎
  56. https://www.voanews.com/a/iraq-says-it-killed-top-islamic-state-group-figure-/7833010.html ↩︎
  57. https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/10/22/isis-commander-for-iraq-killed-premier-says ↩︎
  58. https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/iraq/ ↩︎
  59. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3955844/defeat-isis-mission-in-iraq-and-syria-past-60-days/ ↩︎

One thought on “Mowing The Lawn: Maintaining Operations Against ISIS In Syria And Iraq”

  1. Pingback: Enemies Of A Former Enemy: ISIS and Hurras Al-Din After The Collapse Of Assad – Chronicles in Zealotry

Leave a comment