US officials say senior al-Qaeda affiliate leader killed in Syrian strike
A U.S. airstrike killed a senior al-Qaeda-affiliated leader in Northwest Syria last month, according to U.S. officials.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday that its forces targeted and killed Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, a senior military leader of the Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate that is designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department.
The precision airstrike was carried out on Feb. 23, according to CENTCOM.
'As we have said in the past, we will continue to pursue relentlessly these terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,' CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.
The 12-second video, shared by CENTCOM, shows the airtrike connecting on the left side of the vehicle the U.S. officials believe was driven by Talay.
The Feb. 23 strike came just two days after another strike in Northwest Syria killed Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar, a senior leadership facilitator of HaD, CENTCOM said.
HaD was formed in 2018 after Al-Qaeda and Nusrah Front, a designated terrorist group, broke apart, according to the National Counterterrorism Center (NCC). HaD, which still has access to Al-Qaeda members, primarily operates in the Indlib Province of Northwest Syria.
NCC estimates the group has as many as 2,500 members.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex discovered under Syrian war ruins
A construction worker has unearthed a 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex in the war-torn province of Idlib, northern Syria. The discovery occurred in Maarat al-Numan, a town of strategic importance between Aleppo and Damascus, which saw intense conflict during the Syrian civil war. The area, once a rebel stronghold, was reclaimed by former president Bashar al-Assad's forces in 2020, leaving many homes looted and demolished. As residents return to rebuild following the overthrow of Mr al-Assad in 2024, the chance discovery of stone openings led to the unearthing of ancient graves. Local authorities were promptly alerted, and a team of specialists has been dispatched to inspect and secure the site. Aboveground, it is a residential neighbourhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column. 'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archeological sites in the area. Idlib "has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city', Mr al-Ismail said. The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople – today's Istanbul – and Christianity as its official religion. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets. In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered. He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed. The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorised digging. Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal. Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures. 'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.'
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Smithsonian says it's committed to being free from ‘partisan influence' after Trump tries to remove gallery director
The Smithsonian Institution on Monday emphasized its 'nonpartisan stature' and said 'all personnel decisions' are made by its secretary more than a week after President Donald Trump said he would remove the director of the National Portrait Gallery. The institution said in a statement on Monday that 'all personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board.' It comes amid tension in recent months between several art institutions and the president who has tried to reshape leadership and put in place his own personnel choices. Trump claimed in late May that he was removing Kim Sajet as director of the National Portrait Gallery. Sajet, who has led the Smithsonian-affiliated institution since 2013, is the first woman to serve in that role. The president cited concerns over her political leanings and support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, though his statement did not cite specific incidents or provide evidence of partisanship. 'She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at the time. The Smithsonian's statement also noted that the institution has set out to be nonpartisan and that its Board of Regents 'is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence.' The board directed the secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch III, 'to articulate specific expectations to museum directors and staff regarding content in Smithsonian museums,' give directors time to make changes to 'ensure unbiased content' and report back on progress and any needed personnel changes. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who sits on the Smithsonian board and is the Chancellor, previously declined to comment on the matter. CNN has reached out to Roberts on the latest statement by the board of regents. CNN has also reached out to the Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery and White House for comment. Trump has removed several members of independent agencies and entities since the start of his second term, including the board of trustees and chairman at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, senior officials at federal labor agencies, Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission and inspectors general from more than a dozen federal agencies. The Smithsonian Institution — the world's largest museum complex, including 21 museums and the National Zoo — has also been a target for the Trump administration as he has looked to influence American cultural and artistic institutions. The president signed an executive order in March that put Vice President JD Vance, who also serves on the Smithsonian's board of regents, in charge of stopping government spending on 'exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.' In his order, Trump specifically targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian American Art Museum as carrying exhibits and promoting language he deemed inappropriate. He also signed an order in March directing the Institution of Museum and Library Services, who supports museums and libraries in all 50 states, among several other government entities, to be 'eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.'
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Islamist terror leader calls for assassinations of Trump, JD Vance over pro-Israel views in disturbing video: ‘Take revenge'
The leader of a heinous Islamist terror group has called for President Trump and scores of his top advisors to be assassinated as revenge for their pro-Israel stances, The Post has learned. Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, the newest leader of al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) group, issued the disturbing call in a propaganda video released on Sunday — as he encouraged Muslims in the US to 'take revenge,' sources confirmed. Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki issued the disturbing call in a propaganda video released on Sunday. Memri TV 'Do not consult anyone about killing infidel Americans,' he said in the sick clip. 'Go after the scum of the earth and its greatest criminals. These are Trump and his vice president [JD Vance], his advisor and his supporters in terms of finance, administration, and technology.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and even Elon Musk were among the advisors named, sources said. 'Go after them and their families and all those who have any ties or are close to the politicians of the White House. There are no red lines after all that has been happening to our people in Gaza.' Elsewhere, al-Awlaki — who the US State Department has issued a $6 million bounty for — praised suspects who have carried out a spate of recent antisemitic terror attacks, as well as those behind the prior assassinations attempts on Trump's life. President Trump speaks at the White House on June 9, 2025. REUTERS In the 34-minute video — titled 'Inciting the Believers' — the terror leader called, too, for 'strikes' on all Jews. 'Do not leave a single safe place for Jews — just as they have not left any homes, shelters, or respite for the Palestinians,' he said. 'Even hospitals are being bombed over the heads of the sick and wounded, and the heads of the women, children and the elderly. Take revenge.' AQAP has long been designated a foreign terrorist group by the US. Al-Awlaki, who took over as leader of the Yemen-based group in March 2024, has the $6 million bounty on his head for previously calling for attacks against the US.
