 "US & allies carry out another 'large-scale' strike on Islamic State targets in Syria")
Tensions in West Asia escalated as the United States and allied forces on Saturday carried out “large-scale” strikes against an Islamic Jihadist group in Syria. The American military confirmed the news and noted that the strike came in response to last month’s attack that led to the death of three Americans.
On December 13, Washington noted that a lone gunman from the militant group carried out an attack in Palmyra, which killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter. It is pertinent to note that the area is home to Unesco-listed ancient ruins and was once controlled by jihadist fighters.
“The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria” and were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched “in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra,” US Central Command said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 10, 2026
Not the first time
The latest strike came a month after the US and Jordan carried out a previous round of strikes as part of the same operation. The countries managed to hit dozens of Islamic State group targets at that time. The Palmyra attack was concerning for the West since it was the first such incident since the overthrow of Syria’s longtime ruler, Bashar al-Assad, in December 2024.
The US personnel who were targeted were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the international effort to combat IS, which seized swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014. The jihadists were ultimately defeated by local ground forces backed by international airstrikes and other support, but IS still has a presence in Syria, especially in the country’s vast desert.
Quick Reads
View AllUS President Donald Trump has long been opposed to the idea of American troops being in Syria, ordering their withdrawal during his first term but ultimately leaving them in place. In April, the Pentagon announced that the US would halve the number of personnel in Syria over the following months. Meanwhile, in June, the US’s special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, stated that Washington would eventually reduce its bases in the country to one.
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