AIR FORCE HELICOPTER CREW RESCUES FEMALE HIKER – The 943rd Rescue Group had to use night vision goggles to rescue a severely injured hiker. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/Released)
Four United States servicemembers and a working dog were wounded during a helicopter raid in Syria’s northeastern region, the U.S. Central Command announced on February 17.
In an initial statement, the command said that the raid, which was carried out on February 16 in cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), targeted a senior leader of ISIS.
“The targeted ISIS senior leader, Hamza al-Homsi, was killed. The U.S. servicemembers and working dog are receiving treatment in a U.S. medical facility in Iraq,” the statement reads.
CENTCOM said in a later statement that the four servicemembers and the working dog were wounded when al-Homsi triggered an explosion after being cornered at his hideout in the governorate of Deir Ezzor. According to the statement, al-Homsi oversaw a “deadly terrorist network” of ISIS in eastern Syria before he was killed in the raid.
“The U.S. servicemembers and working dog are in stable condition,” the command said.
The command added that an ISIS assassination cell leader was eliminated in a separate raid in northeastern Syria that also took place on February 16.
This was the first time the U.S. has sustained casualties in northeastern Syria since last August. Back then, three servicemembers were wounded as a result of a rocket attack that targeted a coalition base at the Conoco gas plant in Deir Ezzor. The attack was blamed on armed factions backed by Iran.
The U.S. maintains some 900 troops in Syria. Most of them are deployed at key oil and gas fields in the northeastern region.
With the start of the year, the coalition stepped up its counter-terrorism operations in the region in cooperation with the SDF. However, ISIS insurgency is still going strong. The main purpose of the recent operations was likely to justify U.S. presence in Syria for the long term.
