U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces conducted an airstrike eliminating a “senior ISIS leader” in northwest Syria on June 19.

“The precision strike killed Ali Husayn al-‘Ulaywi and is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland,” CENTCOM wrote in a post Wednesday on X.

https://t.co/GZzWJegpBS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 24, 2026

“CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM. “We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and allies and partners across the region.” (RELATED: Three Americans Allegedly Conspired To Aid ISIS Against US Troops)

CENTCOM said it will continue working with partners in the region. ISIS has claimed they’ve launched a new phase in Syria aimed at President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s current dictator, France 24 reported. The terror group launched a series of attacks beginning in February.

Sharaa previously led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist group originally affiliated with al-Qaeda, according to Britannica. He came to power in 2024 after overthrowing Bashar al-Assad, the previous dictator, whose regime had faced adversaries such as ISIS during the Syrian Civil War. Sharaa’s government joined a coalition led by the U.S. targeting ISIS in 2025, according to France 24.

ISIS gained significant power during the Syrian Civil War, which started in 2011. The group stemmed from insurgent activities in Iraq and Syria, with since-deceased emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi splitting the group off from al-Qaeda in 2013, according to the Director of National Intelligence website. ISIS declared a caliphate in 2014 and conquered large sections of Syria and Iraq before an international coalition seized its final overt stronghold in 2019. While significantly reduced, the terror group remains active.