A drone strike by US coalition forces on Friday afternoon killed a “senior militant leader” in northwestern Syria, marking the latest in a series of targeted US assassinations in the region. The strike targeted Abu Abdul Rahman al-Makki, a former leader of the Jund al-Aqsa organization and a prominent figure within the Hurras al-Din (HD) group, which has ties to Al-Qaeda (AQ).
Local sources reported that al-Makki was riding a motorcycle on the road between the towns of Ehsim and Al-Badia in the Idlib countryside when he was struck by two missiles, believed to be American AGM-114R9X “Ninja” missiles, a weapon frequently used by the US in targeted killings of high-profile jihadists.
A video recording from the scene showed the remains of al-Makki’s motorcycle scattered across the road, approximately 75 meters from where the attack occurred. According to reports, the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, responded to the scene and transported al-Makki’s body to a forensic medicine office in Idlib.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the strike, identifying the target as a senior leader of within the HD organization. “Earlier today, US Central Command Forces killed Hurras al-Din senior leader Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Makki in a targeted kinetic strike in Syria,” CENTCOM said in a statement on the social media platform X.
Al-Makki, a Saudi national, had a long history within militant groups in Syria. He was previously detained in 2020 by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls parts of Idlib, before being released in a general amnesty earlier this year. Al-Makki’s organization, HD, has been the target of several US airstrikes in recent years. The group, formed in 2018, is comprised of several smaller factions and has been accused of “plotting attacks against ‘Western interests’.”
This latest strike is part of a broader US strategy of employing drone warfare to target and eliminate key figures in Syria. These operations, often conducted without prior announcement, aim to disrupt the leadership and operational capabilities of groups like HD and the remnants of ISIS.
However, US drone strikes in Syria have not been without controversy. In May of 2024, US forces admitted to mistakenly killing a civilian, Lotfi Hassan Masto, during a similar operation in the town of Qorqania. The incident drew criticism and raised questions about the accuracy of intelligence used in these targeted strikes.
The international coalition, led by the United States, continues to maintain a presence in Syria, primarily through aerial operations aimed at eliminating “high-value targets.” These operations have sparked concerns about collateral damage and the broader implications for Syria’s stability. As of now, no other casualties have been reported from the strike that killed al-Makki, and the US military has not disclosed whether additional operations in the region are planned in the near future.
