US Airstrike Kills ISIS Leader in Syria Ahead Pres. Biden's Middle East Trip

High-ranking Islamic State leader Maher al-Agal was killed in a US airstrike in northwest Syria early Tuesday, according to the United States military. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) identified al-Agal as the head of ISIS in Syria.

According to a CENTCOM statement, al-Agal was "responsible for aggressively pursuing the development of ISIS networks outside of Iraq and Syria."

The US military also claimed that the strike seriously injured a senior ISIS official closely associated with al-Agal, per NBC News.

A Major Setback For ISIS

CENTCOM spokesperson Col. Joe Buccino stated that the "removal of these ISIS leaders will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further plot and carry out global attacks."

The Syrian Civil Defence, a humanitarian organization working in opposition-held regions, reported that two individuals died after an unspecified drone struck a motorcycle in the village of Khaltan in the northern countryside of the Aleppo province, per Reuters.

Buccino stated: "ISIS continues to represent a threat to the U.S. and partners in the region. CENTCOM maintains a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region and will continue to counter threats against regional security."

The Islamist insurgency group's attempts to reform as a guerrilla force after losing major portions of its territory, would suffer yet another setback.

Although President Joe Biden's administration has yet to provide specifics on its long-term strategy for the eight-year-old mission, the United States now maintains about 900 troops in Syria, largely in the east of the country that has been torn apart by a decade-long civil war.

The attack on Tuesday was a component of ongoing attempts to fight ISIS, which has recently reemerged in several regions of Syria and Iraq.

Airstrike Proves US Military Power and Efficiency

President Biden said the killing of the ISIS leader "significantly degrades" the capability of the terrorist organization "to plan, resource, and conduct their operations in the region."

Biden said in a statement: "Like the U.S. operation in February that eliminated ISIS's overall leader, it sends a powerful message to all terrorists who threaten our homeland and our interests around the world. The United States will be relentless in its efforts to bring you to justice."

CNN reported that the president expressed gratitude to the military personnel there and said the strike proved that the US does not need "thousands of troops" involved in combat missions "to identify and eliminate threats to our country."

The news was released before President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East. On Wednesday, Biden is scheduled to arrive in Israel to attend several meetings there and in the West Bank before flying to Saudi Arabia.

The latest in a series of recent strikes against the terrorist organization in Syria would be the attack in Jindayris, northwest Syria. The U.S. military claims that a mission last month resulted in the seizure of an unidentified senior ISIS officer and bomb maker.

In February, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the top leader of ISIS, was killed in a US special forces raid in northwest Syria.

Between 2014 and 2017, ISIS reigned over millions of people and either claimed responsibility for or inspired attacks in various places around the globe.