**US Military Conducts Strikes in Syria, Eliminates Dozens of ISIL and al-Qaeda Fighters**

The United States military announced it has carried out two separate attacks in Syria this month, resulting in the deaths of dozens of fighters from ISIL (ISIS) and an al-Qaeda-affiliated group. According to a statement from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) released on Sunday, a significant airstrike targeted a remote ISIL camp in central Syria, killing at least 28 operatives, including four senior leaders, on September 16.

While the specific identities of those killed have not been disclosed, CENTCOM emphasized that this assault would impair ISIL's ability to conduct operations against US interests and those of its allies and partners.

In another operation, CENTCOM reported an attack in northwestern Syria on September 24 that resulted in the deaths of nine fighters. Among those killed was Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf, a senior leader of Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda-aligned group. This marks the second targeted strike against the leadership of Hurras al-Din in recent months; in August, a similar attack resulted in the death of another high-ranking leader, Abu-Abd al-Rahman al-Makki.

Hurras al-Din, which emerged in Syria in 2018 and is linked to al-Qaeda, continues to be a focal point in the US military's efforts in the region. The United States maintains a force of approximately 900 troops in Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contractors, primarily to support local allies in preventing ISIL's resurgence. ISIL infamously gained significant ground in Syria and Iraq in 2014.

The Syrian government has consistently voiced its opposition to the US presence in the country, calling for the withdrawal of all American forces.