U.S., allied forces launch large-scale strikes on ISIS in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack
U.S. and allied forces carried out large-scale strikes against the Islamic State group across Syria on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said, the latest response to a Dec. 13 assault in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
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“The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria” and were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which CENTCOM said was launched “in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra.” The command announced the operation in a statement on X.
Washington has said a lone ISIS gunman carried out the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra — home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and a onetime stronghold for the extremist group — killing two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter.
Saturday’s action follows an earlier round of strikes under the same operation last month, when the United States and Jordan hit dozens of ISIS targets, according to CENTCOM.
The U.S. personnel targeted in the Palmyra attack were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the international mission to dismantle ISIS networks in Syria and Iraq. The Islamic State group seized large swaths of both countries in 2014 before losing territory to local forces backed by international air power and intelligence support; the group retains cells and freedom of movement in parts of Syria’s vast desert.
CENTCOM did not immediately provide details on the targets struck Saturday or assessments of damage. The command framed the latest raids as part of an ongoing effort to degrade ISIS capabilities and deter further attacks on coalition forces and partners.
U.S. policy on its troop presence in Syria has fluctuated over recent years. President Donald Trump has long expressed skepticism about a sustained American footprint there, at one point ordering a withdrawal during his first term before ultimately keeping forces in place. The Pentagon announced in April that the United States would halve the number of U.S. personnel in Syria in the following months, while U.S. envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said in June that Washington would eventually reduce its bases in the country to one.
ISIS’s attack in Palmyra — a symbolic location that the group twice captured at the height of its territorial expansion — underscored the continuing risk posed by its remnants. While the group no longer controls significant population centers, it has leveraged Syria’s remote terrain to stage ambushes, assassinations and hit-and-run raids against security forces and local leaders.
The United States continues to coordinate with regional partners to limit the group’s ability to regenerate. Last month’s joint strikes with Jordan highlighted the role neighboring states play in tracking militants, disrupting cross-border facilitation networks and curbing arms smuggling that can fuel resurgence.
Operation Hawkeye Strike adds to a series of targeted actions intended to prevent ISIS from capitalizing on security gaps, CENTCOM said, noting that coalition forces remain focused on support to local partners who conduct day-to-day ground operations. The command emphasized that the mission to ensure the group’s “enduring defeat” extends beyond battlefield strikes to include pressure on its finances, propaganda and recruitment pipelines.
Additional details on targets, casualty figures and follow-on operations were not immediately available.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
