A Dec. 19, 2024 strike by U.S. forces in Syria killed Abu Yusif, an Islamic State leader, and one other operative, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Dec. 20. (U.S. Central Command)

U.S. forces in the Middle East killed a leader of the Islamic State group in a precision airstrike in Syria, U.S. Central Command said Friday.

The strike on Thursday in Syria’s Deir el-Zour province killed Abu Yusif and one other operative, CENTCOM said in a statement. It was conducted in a region previously controlled by the government of former President Bashar Assad and Russian forces, the command said.

The action was part of U.S. efforts to keep ISIS from reconstituting and taking advantage of the “current situation” in Syria, said Gen. Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander.

“ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria,” Kurilla said.

The U.S. will continue to target ISIS leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations outside Syria, Kurilla added.

Thursday’s strike was the third this month against ISIS. Those strikes largely have targeted camps and operatives in the central Syrian desert, killing at least 12.

Syria remains unstable following the collapse of Assad’s regime, with rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham looking to install a new government.

The White House has said the U.S. will not get involved in Syria’s war. But America has its own interests in the nation, including defeating ISIS and preventing conflict between Turkey and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in the northeast.

CENTCOM’s announcement of the most recent strike comes a day after the Pentagon announced that there were about 2,000 troops in Syria.

About 1,100 service members have deployed to the country over the last several months, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday. For months, the Pentagon said there were about 900 U.S. service members in the country.

Stars and Stripes reporter Alison Bath contributed to this report.