ISLAMABAD: The US military reportedly killed a senior Islamic State (ISIS) militant in a raid on Syria early on Saturday. The operation coincides with the first official visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Washington in more than 25 years.
Friday night, US forces conducted a raid in Syria that killed Omar Abdul Qader, also known as Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi. The Iraqi counterterrorism service, working in coordination with the US-led international coalition, confirmed the operation.
Abdul Qader was identified as the Islamic State group’s head of external operations and security.
He was accused of overseeing attacks across several countries, including the bombing of Iran’s embassy in Lebanon. He also planned other attacks in Europe and the United States that were foiled through intelligence efforts.
The US military said Abdul Qader was actively seeking to launch attacks against the United States. The statement did not specify if any civilians were killed in the raid.
The operation forms part of a series of US strikes against ISIS figures in Syria. US officials have warned that the group is seeking to stage a resurgence following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
US ends protected status for Syrian migrants
Meanwhile, the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed it will terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for more than 6,000 Syrians currently living in the US with legal protections granted since 2012.
The DHS cited improvements in conditions in Syria and described it as “a hotbed of terrorism and extremism for nearly two decades,” stating it was against US national interests to allow Syrians to remain in the country. Syrian nationals under TPS have 60 days to voluntarily leave the US and return home. Failure to do so could result in arrest and deportation.
This move is part of President Donald Trump’s wider effort to rescind deportation protections he says were overused, including for migrants who have legally lived and worked in the US for many years.
Critics, including US Democrats and migrant advocates, argue that forced returns could send Syrians back into dangerous circumstances and that many US employers depend on their labour.
Diplomatic breakthrough
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrived in Washington on 18 September for high-level talks, marking the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister in over 25 years.
He is scheduled to meet US lawmakers to discuss lifting the remaining US sanctions on Syria, Senator Lindsey Graham was quoted as saying by Axios. Two sources familiar with the trip confirmed the visit to Reuters.
The visit follows the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad by forces loyal to President Ahmed al-Sharaa in December 2024. The US is seeking to integrate its longtime Syrian Kurdish allies with Sharaa’s administration in Damascus and is mediating talks between Syria and Israel.
The Syrian President is expected to attend the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York, where he and President Trump reportedly plan to meet. Negotiations aiming to secure a security pact between Syria and Israel could yield results “in the coming days,” according to officials.
The US has imposed harsh sanctions on Syria since 2011 in response to Assad’s violent suppression of protests that ignited a nearly 14-year civil war. The current thaw between Washington and Damascus, including Trump’s announcement in May to lift sanctions after meeting Sharaa, signals a substantial shift in policy.
