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US and allies strike IS positions in Syria
The United States and its partner forces conducted large-scale airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria on Saturday, according to US Central Command (Centcom). The operation, part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, was ordered by President Donald Trump in retaliation for a deadly IS attack on US forces in Syria on 13 December.
Retaliation for December attack
The December assault near Palmyra resulted in the deaths of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Centcom stated the latest strikes aimed to disrupt IS operations and safeguard US and allied personnel in the region.
"If you harm our warfighters, we will find you and eliminate you anywhere in the world, regardless of how hard you attempt to evade justice," Centcom declared.
Scope of the operation
More than 20 aircraft, including US F-15Es, A-10s, AC-130Js, MQ-9 drones, and Jordanian F-16s, participated in the strikes. Over 90 precision-guided munitions were fired at more than 35 IS targets, an unnamed official told CBS News. The exact locations of the strikes and potential casualties remain undisclosed.
Ongoing counter-IS efforts
Since Operation Hawkeye Strike was launched in December, US forces have conducted 11 missions, killing or capturing nearly 25 IS members. The operation's first major action on 19 December involved a joint US-Jordanian assault using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery to hit over 70 IS targets across central Syria.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the administration's stance on Saturday, writing on X: "We will never forget, and never relent."
Syria's fragile state
Syria remains unstable following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, which ended a 13-year civil war. Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the rebel group that ousted Assad, now serves as the country's president. Despite its weakened state, IS continues to launch attacks, primarily targeting Kurdish-led forces in northeastern Syria in 2025.
