US kills al-Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria

U.S. military forces on Friday killed an al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to an Islamic State attack on Americans in Syria last month, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Saturday.



Bilal Hasan al-Jasim had "direct ties" to an ISIS gunman who killed and injured U.S. and Syrian personnel on December 13 in Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said.



“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, in a statement.



Since the December 13 attack, U.S. forces have been conducting strikes in Syria, with the U.S. military saying it has hit more than 100 ISIS targets.