 "Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria: US says killed terrorist linked to Palmyra attack")
The United States on Saturday announced that it conducted a lethal strike in Syria, targeting an al Qaeda affiliate leader it said had direct ties to an ISIS attacker who killed three Americans last year. The US Central Command confirmed the news in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 17, 2026
The American forces noted that Bilal Hasan al-Jasim “was an experienced terrorist leader” and “was directly connected” to the ISIS gunman who killed two US service members and a civilian interpreter on December 13, 2025, in Palmyra, Syria.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to CENTCOM’s post, writing “We will never forget, and never relent.” It is pertient to note that the United States has been targeting ISIS in Syria after the deadly ambush through a series of strikes under the campaign titled “Operation Hawkeye Strike.”
ISIS remains the US’s target
In the Saturday statment, CENTCOM said that the operation has hit more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets. Hundreds of American troops continue to be deployed in Syria as part of the US’s long-standing mission to combat ISIS.
It is important to note that as of now, ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the December attack that killed the two US service members and a civilian interpreter. According to CNN, Syria’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said the attacker was a part of the country’s Internal Security Service.
However, the Syrian leadership was quick to distance the gunman from the country’s fledgling government, which has received strong American support in recent months.
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