US airstrike kills ISIS leader in Syria: Officials

The U.S. military killed a top Islamic State leader and another member in an airstrike conducted in Syria on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said.

The strike targeted Abu Yusif, also known as Mahmud, in the Dayr az Zawr Province, an area formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians, CENTCOM said.

He and an unidentified ISIS member were killed in the strike, according to CENTCOM.

“ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria. We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement.

Read more: ABC News