US Drone Strike Kills Senior ISIS Leader Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi in Idlib Countryside

US Central Command carried out a precision drone strike in the Idlib province countryside on June 19, 2026, killing senior ISIS leader Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi as he rode a motorcycle. CENTCOM announced the strike on June 24, describing al-Ulaywi as a key operational figure in the group's insurgency. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights corroborated the strike, reporting multiple explosions in the area. The operation came just over two months after the US completed its full military drawdown from Syria in April 2026, underscoring that Washington retains reach-back strike capability against ISIS remnants despite the reduced footprint.