Operation Hawkeye Strike follows deadly Palmyra attack that killed two American soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), working alongside partner forces, carried out large-scale air and ground strikes against multiple ISIS targets across Syria on Saturday, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s ongoing campaign against the extremist group.
According to a CENTCOM statement, the strikes were conducted at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, a military operation launched on Dec. 19, 2025, at the direction of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The operation was initiated in direct response to a deadly ISIS ambush on Dec. 13 in the historic city of Palmyra, where an ISIS attacker killed two American soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter during a joint mission with Syrian partner forces.
CENTCOM said Saturday’s strikes targeted ISIS positions throughout Syria, underscoring what it described as an unwavering commitment to dismantle the group’s operational networks, prevent future attacks, and safeguard U.S. and allied personnel deployed in the region.
“The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria as part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces,” the command said, adding that U.S. and coalition forces remain “resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States.”
The operation comes amid growing concern among U.S. and regional officials about ISIS’s continued ability to exploit security vacuums in parts of Syria. Despite the group’s territorial defeat in 2019, ISIS cells have remained active, particularly in Syria’s vast desert regions, including areas around Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor, where governance remains weak and multiple armed actors operate.
Over the past year, ISIS has intensified hit-and-run attacks targeting military convoys, checkpoints, and local communities, aiming to reassert relevance and undermine stabilization efforts.
U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that without sustained military pressure, the group could regroup and pose renewed threats to regional and international security.
CENTCOM’s statement included unusually forceful language, signaling a hardline posture from Washington following the Palmyra attack. “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,” the command said.
The strikes also reflect continued U.S. military engagement in Syria, where American forces operate primarily in the northeast in coordination with local partners such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as part of the international coalition against ISIS. While the U.S. presence is limited in scale, it plays a central role in intelligence, air support, and counterterrorism operations.
As Operation Hawkeye Strike continues, observers say the effectiveness of the campaign will depend on sustained pressure against ISIS networks and broader political and security stabilization efforts in Syria, where years of conflict have created conditions that militant groups continue to exploit.