John Thomas

US forces kill ISIL militant linked to Turkey nightclub attack

The United States disclosed on April 21 a secret military ground operation that killed an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant seen as a close associate of the jihadist group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and linked to an attack on a Turkish nightclub that left 39 people dead.

Top US commander for Mideast visits SDF in Syria

The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East made a secret trip to northern Syria on Feb. 24 to meet a U.S.-backed alliance fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), officials said.

General Joseph Votel, who heads U.S. Central Command (Centcom), met with leaders from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).