The death of the leader of ISIS (Islamic State) in Syria Hamza al Homsi during a Thursday night raid, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced today Friday.

During an airstrike by American forces, four American soldiers and a trained dog were injured in an explosion.

The announcement

“Last night, during a US and Syrian Democratic Forces helicopter strike in northeastern Syria, an explosion on target resulted in injuries to four US soldiers and a trained working dog. Hamza al Homsi was killed. The four American soldiers and the trained dog are receiving medical treatment at medical facilities in Iraq.”

A US official told the ABC network that the four wounded are part of a force of forces US special operations which targeted al-Homsi. Three of the soldiers are in stable condition and the fourth has already returned to duty, according to the US official.

Today there are about 900 US troops operating in northeastern Syria in areas controlled by the Syrian Kurdish forces known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. and about 2,500 US troops still in Iraq.

The deployment of US troops to both countries remains to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State.

Although ISIS no longer controls the vast swaths of territory it once held, the forces that remain remain a constant security threat in both countries.