US launches 'large-scale strikes' on ISIS targets

 American fighter jets roared across Syrian skies as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a new wave of “large-scale strikes” against ISIS positions. The operation, carried out with partner forces, marked one of the most forceful U.S. military responses in recent years and came weeks after ISIS militants killed three Americans in a deadly ambush in Palmyra.

Officials said the strikes sent a direct message to ISIS and its affiliates: Attacks on U.S. troops will be met with overwhelming retaliation.

The campaign, part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, reflects Washington’s effort to dismantle ISIS networks before they can regroup while reaffirming U.S. military presence in a region still shaped by years of conflict.

The strikes began around 12:30 p.m. EST and targeted “multiple ISIS positions throughout Syria.” CENTCOM said the operation aimed to “root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region.”

CENTCOM also shared video footage on its official X account showing fighter jets taking off and striking targets in both rural and urban areas.

Context behind the strikes

The operation followed a December 13, 2025 ambush in Palmyra, Syria, in which an ISIS gunman killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54. CENTCOM said the attack was the first deadly assault on U.S. troops in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

The U.S. announced Operation Hawkeye Strike on December 19, 2025, targeting ISIS positions across Syria and Iraq. CENTCOM reported that those strikes hit more than 70 targets and resulted in the deaths or detention of 23 terrorist operatives.

Follow-up operations

CENTCOM later confirmed a strike in northwest Syria that killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, described as “an experienced terrorist leader” linked to the ISIS gunman behind the Palmyra attack. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said, “The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces.”

International involvement

The Royal Air Force said on January 3, 2026, that British and French warplanes carried out strikes in central Syria “to help prevent any attempted ISIS resurgence.” British Defense Secretary John Healey said, “This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East.”

Official statements

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the strikes on X, writing, “We will never forget, and never relent.”

Conservative commentator Laura Loomer praised the operation in a post directed at Hegseth, writing, “Great work, @PeteHegseth!”CENTCOM closed its statement with a warning, “Our message remains strong: if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice.”

Casualties, damage assessments

CENTCOM’s January 10 release did not provide casualty figures or the number of targets struck that day. Earlier statements said the December 19 strikes hit more than 70 targets using over 100 precision munitions. Subsequent missions between December 20 and 29 reported killing at least seven militants and capturing others.

CENTCOM said its January 16 strike killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim. Independent confirmation of militant casualties in Syria remains limited and often relies on CENTCOM assessments, coalition briefings and local reporting.