United States special forces launched a rare airborne raid in north-western Syria on Thursday, an operation the Pentagon described as "successful".
The operation was thought to be the biggest of its kind by US forces in the Idlib region since the 2019 raid that killed self-proclaimed Islamic State's group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The Pentagon stopped short of revealing its target in the raid but said more information would be provided later.
"US Special Operations forces under the control of US Central Command conducted a counter-terrorism mission this evening in north-west Syria," the Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.
"The mission was successful. There were no US casualties," he added.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven civilians were among at least 13 people killed in the operation, which saw elite US forces make a perilous helicopter landing near Atme.
Syrians gather on 3 February, 2022 at the scene following an overnight raid by US special operations forces in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. Source: AFP via Getty Images
"13 people at least were killed, among them four children and three women, during the operation," head of the Observatory Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Fierce battle
The two-storey building of raw cinder blocks bore the scars of an intense battle, with torn window frames, charred ceilings and a partly collapsed roof.
US special forces have carried out several operations against jihadist targets in the Idlib area in recent months.
The area, the last enclave to actively oppose the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, is home to more than three million people.
Idlib is mostly administered by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group led by former members of what was once al-Qaeda's franchise in Syria. Al-Qaeda is listed as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council and many countries including Australia.
On 23 October, the US military announced the killing of senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid Al-Matar.
"Al-Qaeda uses Syria as a safe haven to rebuild, coordinate with external affiliates, and plan external operations," said Central Command spokesman Army Major John Rigsbee in a statement at the time.
Syrian government forces and their main military backer Russia have carried out repeated attacks against jihadist and rebel groups in the Idlib region.
But a ceasefire deal which was brokered by Moscow and Ankara, the two main foreign powers in the area, almost two years ago is still officially in place.
Mr Assad has long insisted his goal was to recapture the whole of Syria, including Idlib province, but the contours of the rebel-run enclave have remained largely unchanged since early 2020.
