Civilians struck in U.S. raid in Syria

At least 13 people, including six children and four women, died in an overnight raid by the United States special operations forces in northwestern Syria. Residents said more people remained under the rubble in the village of Atmeh. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby in a brief statement said the large-scale counterterrorism raid was successful without any U.S. casualties.

Why the raid? The Pentagon did not provide any details on the target of the attack in Idlib province. It comes as Islamic State (ISIS) steps up attacks since its 2019 defeat. The group launched a 10-day assault last month to capture a prison in northeastern Syria, marking its largest military operation since 2019. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops from the U.S.-led coalition clashed with fighters on the ground. Residents in the area said the U.S. forces used loudspeakers to ask women and children to leave the area.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archive, read Mindy Belz’s report on a decade of destruction in Syria.