The strikes took place on Saturday at about 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time and were conducted as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched and announced on December 19, 2025, CENTCOM said.
US officials said the operation was directed by President Donald Trump in response to a December 13 attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria. That ambush, which the US military attributed to an ISIS terrorist, killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter.
“These strikes are part of Operation Hawkeye Strike,” CENTCOM said, describing the campaign as a direct response to the Palmyra attack.
The US military said Saturday’s strikes targeted ISIS positions across Syria and were aimed at preventing further attacks on American and partner forces operating 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 in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The command said US and coalition forces remain determined to pursue ISIS militants who continue to pose a threat. “US and coalition forces remain resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States,” the statement said.
CENTCOM did not immediately provide details on the number of targets struck, the specific locations hit, or the type of weapons used. The military also did not release an assessment of damage or say whether there were any casualties resulting from the strikes.
US officials framed the operation as part of a broader effort to deter attacks on American forces deployed overseas and to signal that assaults on US personnel would be met with force.
“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 CENTCOM statement said.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that message in a brief post on social media after the strikes were announced. “We will never forget, and never relent,” Hegseth wrote on X.
Operation Hawkeye Strike was announced last month as a sustained campaign rather than a single retaliatory action. US officials have said the operation is intended to disrupt ISIS networks and prevent the group from rebuilding its operational capacity.
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