US Special Operations forces carry out ‘successful’ mission in northwest Syria

U.S. Special Operations forces carried out a “successful” counter-terrorism mission in northwest Syria on Thursday, the Pentagon said in a statement obtained by Fox News.

Human rights groups and witnesses described a large operation by U.S. commandos that seemed to have the intensity and planning of a raid on a high-value target. Social media users posted a purported video of the attack in the nighttime hours. The helicopter was only visible when it opened fire. 

Residents in Atmeh, a village in rebel-held Idlib Province, told the Associated Press that there was a large ground assault, with U.S. forces using loudspeakers asking women and children to leave the area. They described the raid as the biggest operation since the October 2019 killing of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 

The area, which is near the Turkish border, is home to several top al Qaeda operatives and other militant groups still fighting President Bashar al-Assad. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News.