First Publicly Released Footage Shows Secretive Bladed Hellfire Missile Eliminating Terrorists

US Central Command released the first-ever public footage of a bladed AGM-114R9X Hellfire Missile eliminating a senior leader of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group Hurras al-Din in Syria last month.

The caption of the CENTCOM video reads:

CENTCOM Forces Kill the Senior Military Leader of Al-Qaeda Affiliate Hurras al-Din (HaD) in Syria

On Feb. 23, US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, targeting and killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, the senior military leader of the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The airstrike is part of CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the US, our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.

“As we have said in the past, we will continue to relentlessly pursue these terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, US Central Command.

CENTCOM Forces Kill the Senior Military Leader of Al-Qaeda Affiliate Hurras al-Din (HaD) in Syria

On Feb. 23, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, targeting and killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, the senior military leader of… pic.twitter.com/trhDvgdgne

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 1, 2025

CENTCOM’s footage further confirmed videos published on X on Feb. 23, showing the aftermath of the strike, with damage on the vehicle consistent with the secretive bladed missile. The missile was presumably fired from a MQ-9 Reaper drone.

#Syria: fragments of the missiles used today by US to kill a former Horas Al-Din member near Killi (N. #Idlib).
Those Hellfire missiles (R9X) use blades instead of explosives.
Impact point in the vehicle also pictured. pic.twitter.com/i1N0BExedE

— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) February 23, 2025

The Aviationist noted, “The Hellfire R-9X is said to have been introduced to US military service in 2017, but first started to be reported on two years later in 2019. A 2022 airstrike targeting the then leader of al-Qaeda gave the missile further attention in the mainstream media.”