US Launches Fresh Retaliatory Strikes on ISIS Targets Across Syria After Palmyra Attack

The United States has carried out another round of large-scale retaliatory airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, following a deadly ambush last month that killed two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes were conducted around 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in coordination with partner forces. Multiple IS targets across Syria were hit as part of the operation.

The latest action is part of a broader military response ordered by President Donald Trump after the IS attack in Palmyra that claimed the lives of Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat. Both soldiers were members of the Iowa National Guard.

In a strong statement, CENTCOM said, “Our message remains clear: 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.”

The Trump administration has named the ongoing response Operation Hawkeye Strike. The operation began on December 19, when US forces launched another major strike hitting around 70 IS targets in central Syria, including weapons depots and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Syrian officials said on Friday that their security forces had arrested the military leader overseeing IS operations in the Levant.

While CENTCOM did not specify which partner forces were involved in Saturday’s strikes, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have long been the US’s main ally in combating IS in Syria. However, since the removal of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Washington has increasingly coordinated its efforts with Syria’s central government in Damascus.

The US military has reiterated that it will continue operations to dismantle IS networks and prevent the group from regrouping in the region.

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