CENTCOM Launches Massive Airstrikes in ISIS Targets in Syria
US said the operation’ named Operation Hawkeye Strike’ began on 13 December at 21:00 GMT.
The US says its military has carried out a “massive strike” against the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria, in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country..
The United States has carried out a large-scale military operation against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria, responding to a deadly attack on American forces in the city of Palmyra.
According to US Central Command (Centcom), the operation—named Operation Hawkeye Strike—began on 13 December at 21:00 GMT. US fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery struck more than 70 IS targets across central Syria, using over 100 precision-guided munitions. Aircraft from Jordan also took part in the mission.
The strikes followed an IS ambush in Palmyra that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter, while three other soldiers were injured. Centcom said the attacker was an IS gunman who was later killed.
President Donald Trump said the US was striking IS “very strongly” and promised serious retaliation. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the operation as a “declaration of vengeance”, warning that anyone targeting Americans would be hunted down and eliminated.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that IS positions near Raqqa and Deir ez Zor were hit, killing a senior IS leader and several fighters. However, the BBC said the targets could not be independently verified. IS has not issued any public response.
There were conflicting claims about the Palmyra attack. While the US blamed IS, the Observatory alleged the attacker was a member of Syrian security forces. No group has officially claimed responsibility.
Although IS lost its last territory in Syria in 2019, the United Nations estimates 5,000–7,000 fighters remain active in Syria and Iraq. US troops have been stationed in Syria since 2015 as part of the international campaign against IS.
Syria recently joined an international anti-IS coalition and pledged cooperation with the US. In November, Syria’s new president Ahmed al-Sharaa met President Trump at the White House, describing the talks as the beginning of a “new era” in US-Syria relations following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2024.
