Top al-Qaeda terror leader with links to deadly ISIS attack killed in huge airstrikes

A top al-Qaeda leader has been killed by US troops in Syria (Image: Getty)

An "experienced" al-Qaeda terrorist leader has been killed by US forces in Donald Trump's latest round of airstrikes in Syria. The killing comes after an ISIS attack last month left three Americans dead. The terrifying December 13 attack left two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter dead in Syria.

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim – suspected mastermind of the horrifying terror attack – was an "experienced terrorist leader" plotting against the US, the Pentagon has said. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said he had planned attacks and had direct links to the ISIS gunman behind the deadly assault in Palmyra, Syria, which took place last month. Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in a terrifying December 13 attack in Syria. Mr Trump responded by ordering three swift waves of retaliatory airstrikes, with the latest killing Jasim in north-west Syria. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the killing showed US resolve to hunt down those responsible for the deaths of three Americans. He added: "The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces.

"There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on X following the stunning operation: "We will never forget, and never relent."

The strike follows the US President’s pledge of "serious retaliation" after a deadly terror attack in north-east Syria last month.

American-led forces were conducting counter-terror operations against Islamic State when the gunman launched the attack.

Two US soldiers, Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard, along with civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, were killed.

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British forces have also stepped up attacks on ISIS. Earlier this month, RAF Typhoon jets carried out a joint strike with France on an ISIS-linked underground weapons base near Palmyra.

The hidden facility, buried in mountainous terrain north of the ancient city, was identified as a former Daesh explosives store. RAF aircraft, backed by a Voyager refuelling tanker, dropped precision-guided Paveway IV bombs on tunnel entrances leading into the site.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the strike was a success. Defence Secretary John Healey said the operation showed the UK’s "determination to work shoulder to shoulder with our allies" to stop ISIS returning.

"This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how our Armed Forces stand ready all year round," he said.