A U.S. Army joint light tactical vehicle and its crew assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, Task Force Armadillo, pull security during a patrol in the Deconfliction Zone, Syria, March 18, 2025. (Tyler Matz/U.S. Army)

U.S. forces last week conducted a strike in Syria that killed a senior al-Qaida-affiliated attack planner, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.

The strike last Thursday resulted in the death of Muhammad ‘Abd-al-Wahhab al-Ahmad, who was a member of Ansar al-Islam, an al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist group.

“U.S. forces in the Middle East remain postured to disrupt and defeat efforts by terrorists to plan, organize and conduct attacks,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement. “We will continue to defend our homeland, warfighters, allies and partners throughout the region and beyond.”

No other information was provided on the strike.

The Pentagon has lowered the number of service members in Syria from about 2,500 to fewer than 1,000 in recent months, with plans to eventually consolidate troop presence from eight bases to one.

U.S. forces are also working alongside international partners in Syria and Iraq to eliminate ISIS as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.