The United States military killed a top Islamic State leader and another member in an airstrike in Syria on Thursday, according to US Central Command.
The strike targeted Abu Yusif, also known as Mahmud, in Dayr az Zawr Province, which was previously controlled by both the Syrian regime and the Russians, according to CENTCOM.
According to CENTCOM, the strike killed him as well as an unidentified ISIS member.
“ISIS intends to free the more than 8,000 ISIS operatives currently detained in Syrian facilities. “We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those attempting to conduct operations outside of Syria,” CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.
The airstrike comes after the Pentagon revealed on Thursday that the US troop presence in Syria has increased to 2,000, up from the previously reported 900. According to Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, the troops have been in Syria for some time, dating back to before Bashar Assad’s regime fell earlier this month.
Ryder explained that there are 900 “core” troops on longer-term deployments in Syria that last between nine and twelve months, but he also revealed that there are an additional 1,100 troops who are considered “temporary rotational forces” and are frequently deployed for 30 to 90 days to meet additional requirements in the region.