US-Led Forces Strike Senior ISIS Leader in Syria Amid Fragile Regional Power Shifts

In a high-stakes operation demonstrating America’s continued commitment to combating terrorism abroad, U.S.-led forces executed a targeted raid early Friday in Syria’s turbulent Aleppo province, killing Dhiya Zawba Muslih al-Hardan, a senior Islamic State (IS) leader, along with his two adult sons deeply entangled with the group’s deadly network. While such counterterrorism efforts are vital to national security, they also illuminate thorny questions about Washington’s deepening involvement in Syria amid ongoing instability. Al-Hardan and his sons were not mere foot soldiers; according to the U.S. Central Command, they posed direct threats not only to American and coalition troops but also...