By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters). – U.S. Special Operations Forces successfully conducted a counter-terrorism operation in northwest Syria on Thursday.

Residents from Atmeh in northwest Syria and rebels fighting against the Syrian government previously reported numerous civilian casualties during the two hour operation. It was said that the raid targeted a suspected al Qaeda affiliated jihadist.

“U.S. Special Operations troops under U.S. Central Command carried out a counterterrorism mission tonight in northwest Syria. According to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby (NYSE :), the mission was successful.

There were no U.S. casualties. We will keep you updated with more details as they become available.

Atmeh residents claimed that the raid happened at midnight in densely populated areas near Turkey’s border. There, tens to thousands of Syrians have been forced into makeshift camps or in cramped housing.

While there was no evidence of any terrorists being killed or wounded, some residents reported hearing heavy gunfire, which they believed indicated resistance.

According to one resident, several victims were reported by the raiders. Another said that rescuers recovered at most 12 bodies from the debris of the multi-storey building. This includes children, women, and elderly people.

Charles Lister of the Washington-based Middle East Institute was a senior fellow.

Lister stated, “Clearly they wanted to be with whomever it was alive.”

He stated that “This appears to be the largest operation of its kind” since Baghdadi’s raid.

In 2019, the Islamic State’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in an American special operation raid in northwestern Syria.

According to rebel sources and residents, several helicopters touched down near Atmeh, an area held by the insurgents fighting President Bashar al-Assad. There were also explosions near the residence of a foreign terrorist.

According to a rebel official, the jihadist suspected of being the target was at home with his family when the raid occurred.

Witnesses claimed that the raid was ended by aircraft thought to have been choppers departing the site. However, unidentified reconnaissance flights were still flying in the vicinity.

According to rebel officials, security personnel from Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham rushed to the scene after the raid.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is the main holder of Idlib and a large portion of its territory. It was previously part of al Qaeda from 2016 to 2016.

A number of foreign jihadists who left the group formed Huras al-Din, the Guardians of Religion group. This group was designated as an international terrorist organization and has been the object of many coalition strikes in recent years.

For years, the U.S. military has launched mostly drones to kill top al-Qaeda operatives in northern Syria, where the militant group became active during Syria’s over decade-long civil war.

The U.S.-led coalition operation against Islamic State restor cells remains is much more prevalent in the northeast Syria region held by Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces.