US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the June 19 strike killed Ali Husayn Al-Ulaywi, describing the operation as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt extremist networks capable of threatening American interests and allies.

In a statement, CENTCOM said the strike was intended to prevent terrorist groups from planning or carrying out attacks against the United States, its partners and its homeland.

The military did not disclose the precise location of the operation, details about the target’s role within Daesh, or whether any additional militants were killed.

The strike comes as the United States continues to conduct targeted operations against surviving Daesh elements in Syria, where the group maintains clandestine networks and sleeper cells despite losing the territory it once controlled.

Washington first deployed forces to Syria more than a decade ago to support Kurdish-led partner forces in the fight against Daesh after the group seized large areas of Syria and neighboring Iraq during its rapid expansion in 2014.

The US-led international coalition subsequently helped local forces dismantle the group’s self-declared caliphate through a series of military campaigns that recaptured major urban centers and strategic territory.

Although Daesh no longer controls significant territory, security officials have repeatedly warned that the organization remains capable of conducting insurgent attacks through decentralized cells operating in remote areas of Syria and Iraq.

In April, US and Syrian authorities announced that Syrian forces had assumed control of all major military bases previously used by coalition forces, reflecting a continued drawdown of the international mission.

American forces, however, have maintained the capability to carry out intelligence-driven strikes and special operations targeting senior militant figures viewed as threats to regional and international security.

US officials have consistently stated that preventing a resurgence of Daesh remains a central objective of American counterterrorism policy in Syria and Iraq.

The latest operation highlights Washington’s intention to preserve that capability even as responsibility for day-to-day security increasingly shifts to local authorities.