On Friday(12/19/25), U.S. forces carried out a coordinated military operation in central Syria, striking Islamic State targets days after a deadly attack on American personnel near the city of Palmyra.
U.S. officials said the action, known as Operation Hawkeye Strike, was ordered following the December 13 ambush in which two U.S. service members and a civilian interpreter working with American forces were killed. The strikes focused on ISIS infrastructure, weapons storage locations, and militant concentrations in parts of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and surrounding desert regions.
According to U.S. Central Command, the operation employed a mix of air and ground-based firepower, including fighter aircraft, attack planes, helicopters, and rocket artillery. Allied aircraft from Jordan also participated. Military officials said more than 70 sites linked to ISIS operations were hit, describing the effort as one of the largest recent actions aimed at disrupting the group’s remaining networks in Syria.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were intended as a direct response to the earlier attack and were not designed to broaden the U.S. military mission in the country. President Donald Trump, speaking earlier in the week, said those responsible for the ambush would face consequences.
The December 13 incident unfolded when an assailant with ties to ISIS opened fire on U.S. personnel operating alongside local forces near Palmyra. The attacker was later killed by Syrian security units. Those killed included Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, both from Iowa, as well as Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. civilian interpreter from Michigan. Three additional American service members were wounded.
Following the retaliatory strikes, Syrian state outlets reported explosions in rural areas of eastern Syria, while online videos appeared to show smoke plumes rising near Palmyra. Independent confirmation of casualties was not immediately available. U.S. officials said damage assessments were continuing and that follow-on intelligence operations had led to the detention or killing of several individuals suspected of involvement with ISIS activity.
The operation comes as the United States maintains a limited military presence in Syria, with roughly 1,000 troops deployed as part of ongoing efforts to prevent an ISIS resurgence. American officials said the latest action was aimed at protecting U.S. forces and reducing the group’s ability to carry out further attacks, while avoiding a wider escalation in the conflict.
Image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license and was created by James Gordon.
