WASHINGTON — The leader of the Islamic State group in Syria was killed Tuesday in a U.S. drone strike conducted by U.S. Central Command — which is headquartered in Tampa at MacDill Air Force Base.
Maher al-Agal was killed and one of his top aides was seriously injured, CENTCOM spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn confirmed to 10 Tampa Bay.
Syria is part of CENTCOM’s Area of Responsibility which includes Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq.
This is one of the first major strikes against ISIS under the leadership of General Erik Kurilla who took command in April.
The Pentagon said there were no civilian casualties, though it wasn't possible to immediately confirm that information.
The U.S. carried out the strike outside Jindaris, a town in northwest Syria close to the Turkish border.
The attack "takes a key terrorist off the field and significantly degrades the ability of (IS) to plan, resource and conduct their operations in the region,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “And, like the U.S. operation in February that eliminated (IS's) overall leader, it sends a powerful message to all terrorists who threaten our homeland and our interests around the world.”
The Islamic State group at the height of its power controlled more than 40,000 square miles (103,600 square kilometers) stretching from Syria to Iraq and ruled more than 8 million people. While the group's territorial state collapsed in 2019, its leaders have turned to guerilla tactics and have been able to “efficiently restructure themselves organizationally,” according to the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan think tank.
10 Tampa Bay's Courtney Robinson contributed to this story.