US Carried Out Snatch and Grab Raid Into Syria? UPDATE: Dead al Qaeda Bigwig

Over the weekend, reports surfaced from Syrian media and other outlets that the US carried out a raid just inside the Syrian border, including inserting a small team of soldiers. That is highly suggestive that the US was intent upon capturing a high level terrorist or some high level thug from the Saddam Hussein regime that remains at large.

The names floated included al-Masri, the leader of AQI, and Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, both of whom are heavily involved in the Iraq insurgency and efforts to undermine the new Iraqi government.

Bill Roggio believes that the raid was aimed to capture al Qaeda's top coordinator inside Iraq.

US special operations hunter-killer teams entered Syria in an attempt to capture Abu Ghadiya, a senior al Qaeda leader who has been in charge of the Syrian network since 2005. US intelligence analysts identified Ghadiya as the leader of the Syrian network, The Washington Post reported in July. Ghadiya was identified as a “major target” by the US military in February 2008.

The raid to capture Ghadiya occurred in the town of Sukkariya near Abu Kamal in eastern Syria, just five miles from the Iraqi border. Four US helicopters crossed the border and two of the helicopters landed to drop off special operations forces, who then proceeded to clear structures.

Nine people were reported killed and 14 were wounded. Syrian officials claimed innocent construction workers and women and children were killed in the raid.

US officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment if Ghadiya was killed or captured during the raid.

Just as with the September 6 strike against the Syrian nuclear facility, don't expect the Syrians to make much ado about this incursion. It would only highlight the fact that the Syrians are busy breaking bread with terrorists and providing them safe havens from which they can plan and carry out terrorist operations inside Iraq and perhaps elsewhere.

The US has been trying to clamp down on the Syria-Iraq to thwart terrorist operations, and this attack may have been a direct shot across the bow of the Syrian regime that the US was serious about taking the fight to those who harbor al Qaeda.

Allahpundit wonders why the raid took place now as opposed to the day after the elections, to which I'd respond that the intel was actionable and current, and if the US waited, they might have lost the ability to strike at al Qaeda's operations.

UPDATE:
Via Dave in Texas at Ace of Spades, comes word that the US raid into Syria netted a big fish. A big stinking dead fish:

A U.S. strike on a network of foreign fighters in Syria killed its main target — an Al Qaeda coordinator who was wanted for sending foreign fighters, weapons and cash into Iraq, a U.S. official told FOX News.

Killed in Sunday's attack by Special Operations Forces was Abu Ghadiyain, Al Qaeda's senior coordinator operating in Syria who was closely associated with the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

That's why the Syrians are not going to want to press the issue too much, and the Russians can go pound sand on their complaints.

UPDATE:
A Syrian villager claims that the US grabbed two men in the course of its raid on a village near the Iraq border.

A resident of the village that was the scene of a U.S. raid says he saw at least two men taken into custody by American forces and whisked away by helicopter.

The villager spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his life.

Another villager at the site displayed amateur video footage he took with his mobile phone that shows four helicopters flying toward them as villagers point to the skies in alarm.