​​​​​​ISTANBUL

The US military said Saturday it carried out a strike in northwestern Syria that killed an al-Qaeda-linked leader tied to the Dec. 13 ambush that killed two US troops and an American interpreter.

In a statement on US social media company X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strike occurred Jan. 16 and killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, whom it described as “an experienced terrorist leader.”

CENTCOM said al-Jasim plotted attacks and was directly connected with the Daesh terror group gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel in Palmyra, Syria.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

The statement said CENTCOM responded to the Dec. 13 attack by launching Operation Hawkeye Strike, carrying out large-scale strikes that hit more than 100 Daesh infrastructure and weapons sites using over 200 precision munitions.

It added that in the past year, the US and partner forces captured more than 300 Daesh operatives and killed over 20 in Syria, “removing terrorists who posed a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”