--- title: "US kills ISIS commander in eastern Syria" description: "An MQ-9 Reaper drone killed Usamah al-Muhajir, described as an ISIS commander, on Friday. The same drone was earlier harassed by Russian jets." date: "2023-07-09" modified: "2023-07-09" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/centcom-isis-commander-killed-eastern-syria-reaper-drone/" categories: - "Around the World" - "Middle East" - "News" tags: - "death" --- # US kills ISIS commander in eastern Syria ![MQ-9 Reaper]() *FILE: A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone firing a AGM-114 Hellfire missile. (U.S. Air Force photo)* United States Central Command announced today that it killed ISIS commander Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike on Friday, July 7. CENTCOM said that it used a drone to target al-Muhajir, described only as a commander for the militant group in Syria’s east. CENTCOM said that it does not appear that any civilians were harmed in the attack, but it is still assessing the aftermath. The U.S. military did not offer additional details on the mission, nor did it say how it confirmed the strike killed al-Muhajir. [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.** “We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region,” Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the head of CENTCOM, said in a statement. “ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond.” The operation was carried out using an MQ-9 Reaper drone. Earlier on Friday, the United States claimed Russia fighter jets flew close to the same Reaper drone and “[harassed]()” it for two hours. A similar incident happened on Wednesday. The U.S. Air Force [said in a statement]() that “\[t\]hese events represent a new level of unprofessional and unsafe action by Russian air forces operating in Syria.” The French military has [also said]() that two of its fighter jets were forced to maneuver out of the way of a Russian Su-35 at the Iraq-Syria border on Thursday in order to avoid an “accident.” The U.S.-backed coalition pushed ISIS out of its last base in Baghouz, Syria in March 2019 but in the four years since the group has remained active in Syria and Iraq, with several thousand fighters still under its banner. The United States has launched both air strikes and raids on ISIS commanders since. Two of the group’s top leaders were killed in 2022, one in a fight with American forces, one in a fight with the Free Syrian Army. This year the United States has [conducted dozens of missions]() targeting leaders and fighters, killing several. Several have been in eastern Syria, near the Iraqi border. The United States currently has approximately 900 service members in Syria. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **We salute the USS Chung-Hoon for** [**flying its battle flag**]() **on the way back to port** - **The New Yorker** [**makes a joke**]() **of the Army’s tactical bra. It’s not** - **The Army’s yearslong fight over its** [**controversial new fitness test**]() **isn’t over yet** - **Army names finalists in race to** [**replace M2 Bradley**]() **Fighting Vehicle** - [**The A-10 is retiring**]() **and the Air Force has no close air support replacement** ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()