US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it killed a senior leader of Hurras al Din, Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria, in an airstrike in Syria on January 30. The strike, which took place less than two weeks after the Trump administration took office, may indicate a shift in US policy regarding Syria.
CENTCOM “conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria targeting and killing Muhammad Salah al-Za’bir,” who it described as “a senior operative in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din.” CENTCOM did not provide further details on Zabir’s role within Hurras al Din, nor is there publicly available information.
Yesterday’s strike in northwestern Syria is the first since September 24, 2024, when CENTCOM killed nine members of Hurras al Din, including Marwan Bassam Abd al Rauf, who was described as “a senior Hurras al-Din leader responsible for overseeing military operations.”
The month prior, on August 23, CENTCOM reported that it killed Abu Rahman al Makki, a “Hurras al-Din Shura Council member and senior leader responsible for overseeing terrorist operations from Syria.”
Hurras al Din (HAD) is Al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria and was formed in February 2018 by top leaders who had served in Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the Al Qaeda-linked terror group that overthrew the Assad regime in December 2024 and is now forming a government. The group is thought to have upwards of 2,500 fighters in its ranks and is based primarily in Syria’s Idlib province, which, before the overthrow of the Assad regime, was controlled by HTS. HAD released a statement on January 28 that says the group has been dissolved but tells its members not to disarm and to be prepared for the next phase of the fight.
HAD and HTS are listed by the US government as terrorist organizations, and the leaders of both groups are listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists for their ties to Al Qaeda. Despite the terror designations, the Biden administration removed the $10 million reward for HTS emir Abu Mohammad al Jolani in late December 2024 so that US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf could meet with him. The meeting signaled that the US government was preparing to remove the designations for HTS and recognize Jolani as the leader of Syria.
Jolani, who has since avoided using his nom de guerre in favor of rebranding with his legal name, Ahmad al Sharaa, was appointed the new leader of Syria on January 29. However, yesterday’s strike may signal that the Trump administration is less eager than the Biden administration to engage with a new regime with deep terrorist affiliations.
While yesterday’s strike targeted HAD and not HTS, it may put the latter group in a difficult position. HTS, now the de facto government in Syria, is riddled with terror groups that are either Al Qaeda branches or allies that have declared under the new government’s banner. Despite some differences and occasional feuds between HTS and HAD (HAD formed after HTS publicly distanced itself from foreign terror groups), there are still relationships between the two groups’ leaders and rank and file. The strike may upset HTS leaders, members, and allies within its coalition.
