A precision airstrike by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on 19 June killed Ali Husayn al-'Ulaywi, described as a senior leader of the Islamic State (ISIS), in northwest Syria. CENTCOM confirmed the operation on 24 June, stating that the strike was part of ongoing efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists who seek to attack Americans abroad or on US soil. The Pentagon identified al-'Ulaywi as a high-ranking figure within the group, though it did not disclose further details about his specific role or the intelligence that led to his location.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was conducted alongside regional partners, and its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, declared that the command and its allies remain committed to eradicating remaining ISIS cells to ensure the group's enduring defeat. Viewed from Washington, the strike reinforces a policy of maintaining military pressure on extremist networks that, while territorially defeated in 2019, continue to operate in remote areas of Syria and Iraq. The US Treasury Department separately designated three individuals and six entities across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa for facilitating financial transactions on behalf of ISIS, including a Syria-based money service business that channelled funds from Western countries.

The strike occurs against a backdrop of renewed ISIS activity. The group has claimed a series of attacks since February, including one near Manbij in Aleppo province, and declared a new phase of operations against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Damascus, which joined the US-led coalition against ISIS last year, has not publicly commented on the latest strike. Analysts in the region note that the al-Sharaa administration, itself a former armed opposition faction, now faces the dual challenge of consolidating control while confronting an ISIS insurgency that exploits the security vacuum in desert and border zones.

Russian state media reported the killing while highlighting a contradiction in the US posture: Washington announced the end of its anti-ISIS operation in February 2026 and withdrew ground forces from Syrian bases in April, yet continues to conduct airstrikes. Moscow has long criticised the US military presence in Syria as a violation of sovereignty. The US air campaign, which intensified after a deadly ISIS attack on American personnel in Palmyra in December 2025, shows no sign of abating. CENTCOM has not indicated any change to its rules of engagement or the frequency of strikes, and further operations against high-value targets are expected as the command pursues what it calls the lasting defeat of the group.