Additional Coverage:
WASHINGTON D.C. – The United States has launched a new wave of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria, following an ambush last month that claimed the lives of two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.
The substantial strikes, a joint effort between the U.S. and allied forces, took place around 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, as confirmed by U.S.
Central Command. These strikes targeted multiple IS locations across Syria.
The Jordanian military later announced its participation in the operation.
Saturday’s actions are part of a larger operation initiated by President Donald Trump in response to the deadly IS attack in Palmyra last month, which killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat.
U.S. Central Command issued a strong statement Saturday, asserting, “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.”
Just one day prior to the strikes, Syrian officials reported the arrest of the military leader of IS operations in the Levant by their security forces.
While the U.S. military stated the strikes were conducted with “partner forces,” specific details regarding which forces participated were not immediately provided.
The Trump administration has named the response to the Palmyra attacks “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” Both Torres-Tovar and Howard were members of the Iowa National Guard. The operation commenced on December 19th with another large-scale strike that hit 70 targets in central Syria, impacting IS infrastructure and weaponry.
For years, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces served as the primary U.S. partner in the fight against IS in Syria. However, since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Washington has increasingly coordinated with the central government in Damascus. Syria recently joined the global coalition against IS.