US airstrikes hit ISIS targets in Syria, officials say

The United States carried out large-scale strikes against multiple Islamic State targets across Syria on Saturday, US Central Command said.

The attacks targeted at least 35 locations and included more than 90 precision-fired munitions and more than 20 aircraft, a U.S. official told News themezone. The aircraft included Jordanian F-15E, A-10, AC-130J, MQ-9 and F-16.

Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye, which was launched in retaliation for the ISIS terrorist ambush in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13, which killed two American soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.

“Today’s strikes targeted ISIS throughout Syria as part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our fighters, prevent future attacks, and protect U.S. and partner forces in the region,” Central Command said in a post on X. “U.S. and coalition forces remain determined to pursue terrorists who seek to harm the United States.”

Central Command shared unclassified video of the attacks and said, “Our message remains strong: If you harm our fighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice.”

In his own social media post about Saturday’s attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote, “We will never forget and we will never relent.”

Last month, Sgt. William Howard and Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar, both of the Iowa National Guard, and his interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, were killed when a lone ISIS gunman ambushed them while supporting a key leader in Palmyra. Three other members of the Iowa National Guard were injured in the attack.

After the attack, President Trump promised “very serious retaliation” in a Truth Social post.

Less than a week later, on December 19, the The United States launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for the ambush. More than 70 targets were hit in those strikes, a U.S. official told News themezone at the time.