DOJ arrests man who claimed to be joining ISIS

( NewsNation ) — The Justice Department says they arrested a man who posted on social media about wanting to kill Americans and join ISIS.

The man is a United States citizen and was arrested at JFK International Airport in New York as he prepared to board a flight to Qatar.

That arrest comes after U.S. Central Command said more than 160 militants were killed in the last two months in missions across Syria and Iraq .

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US operations in Syria, Iraq

More than 3,000 U.S. troops are in Syria and Iraq working to stop the growing threat of an Islamic State group resurgence.

Over the past few months, those troops have carried out strikes and raids targeting Islamic State group militants at base camps hidden in the deserts of Syria and Iraq, according to the U.S. Central Command.

Since last August, U.S. defense leaders say troops have killed at least 163 militants and captured almost three dozen more.

That includes 30 senior and mid-level Islamic State group leaders.

The impact so far

The Defense Department two U.S. service members have been wounded, and a third was assessed for a traumatic brain injury in an October operation.

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However, the Central Command says it's making progress in these missions, seizing significant enemy material that could aid the military in future disruptions.

These nearly back-to-back joint strikes and raids with Syrian and Iraqi forces — are happening to prevent the Islamic State group from regaining any power or control in the region — especially after the terror group was defeated in 2019.

Former U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said the counter-terrorism efforts are necessary, but pose a risk of they aren't handled properly.

"What the U.S. is doing in the counter-terrorism mission is absolutely necessary," Harman said. "I hope we're taking care not to hurt innocent civilians, but I have seen how we target drone operations in the past and I'm quite sure that's exactly what we're doing, and it is preempting a major threat on U.S. soil to remind us about 9/11 again."