U.S. and Jordan launch Operation Hawkeye Strike, hit 70 ISIS targets in Syria after Iowa Guard deaths
After an ambush near Palmyra that killed two Iowa National Guard soldiers (Sgt. William Howard and Sgt. Edgar Torres‑Tovar) and U.S. interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the U.S. launched "Operation Hawkeye Strike" with Jordanian air support to target ISIS. CENTCOM said the joint campaign struck roughly 70 ISIS targets across central Syria — including around Palmyra, Deir ez‑Zor, Raqqa and Homs — using more than 100 precision munitions from F‑15s, A‑10s, AH‑64 Apaches, Jordanian F‑16s, HIMARS and artillery, and was framed by U.S. officials as a retaliatory response.
📌 Key Facts
- On Dec. 13 an assailant opened fire during a meeting near historic Palmyra, Syria, killing two U.S. Army soldiers from the Iowa National Guard (Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres‑Tovar) and a U.S. civilian interpreter (Ayad Mansoor Sakat); three additional U.S. service members were wounded.
- U.S., Syrian and independent accounts say the shooter was serving as a Syrian internal security/base guard who had been flagged for suspected ISIS sympathies, stormed the meeting, and was subsequently engaged and killed by partner forces; the incident is under U.S. investigation and CENTCOM review.
- The Trump administration and Pentagon officials publicly blamed ISIS for the ambush while stressing that Syria’s interim president Ahmad al‑Sharaa (and Syrian partner forces) supported U.S. responses; President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed a strong retaliation (Hegseth called it “a declaration of vengeance”).
- The U.S., with air support from Jordan, launched 'Operation Hawkeye Strike' as retaliatory strikes on central Syria, striking roughly 70 ISIS‑linked targets across multiple areas (including Palmyra, Deir ez‑Zor, Raqqa and Homs) using F‑15s, A‑10s, AH‑64 Apaches, Jordanian F‑16s, HIMARS and artillery and employing more than 100 precision munitions.
- CENTCOM and U.S. officials said the strikes began Friday afternoon (around 4 p.m. ET), were explicitly framed as targeting ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites, and that more strikes should be expected; Jordan confirmed its air force participated to prevent extremist regrouping in southern Syria.
- U.S. and partner forces had conducted a series of follow‑on operations since the Dec. 13 attack—about 10 operations tied directly to the response that reportedly killed or detained roughly two dozen ISIS operatives—and CENTCOM said there have been more than 80 counterterrorism operations in Syria over the past six months.
- Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other monitors reported at least five people killed in the U.S. retaliatory strikes (identified as the leader and members of an ISIS cell), while U.S. officials described the action as a large, precision campaign rather than the start of a new war.
- Domestic actions and ceremonies followed: President Trump attended a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base for the three Americans, Iowa officials ordered flags at half‑staff, and family/community leaders and U.S. officials issued tributes and statements as the investigations and regional security responses continue.
📊 Relevant Data
The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 created a power vacuum in Syria, allowing ISIS to exploit instability and increase its attacks, with the group carrying out around 224 attacks through targeted killings, bombings, and ambushes in 2025.
ISIS attacks surge in Syria after fall of Baath regime — ANHA
In 2025, ISIS has incrementally increased its operational tempo in Syria, with an estimated 2,500 fighters remaining active in Syria and Iraq, exploiting the fragmented security environment after the HTS takeover.
Sectarian-driven violence in Syria in March 2025 resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, primarily targeting Alawite communities, highlighting ISIS's strategy of exploiting sectarian divisions.
Islamic State Regains Strength in Syria — The New York Times
ISIS conducted 294 attacks in Syria in 2025, an increase from 121 in 2023, with a focus on more frequent, precise, and sophisticated operations targeting minorities such as Christians and Druze.
From Resurgence to Retrenchment: The Evolution of ISIS After Assad's Fall — Karam Shaar
Insider or 'green-on-blue' attacks by ISIS in Syria have been noted as a tactic to reduce trust in partner forces, with incidents increasing in 2025 amid the post-Assad transition.
Iran Update, December 15, 2025 — Institute for the Study of War
Historical ISIS-inspired attacks during holiday seasons include the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, which killed 12 people, and more recent threats during the 2025 holiday period in various countries.
How Christmas Markets Became Symbols of Terror in Western Europe — Hungarian Conservative
📰 Sources (33)
Turkey detains dozens of ISIS suspects allegedly planning attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations
New information:
- Turkish authorities in Istanbul executed 124 simultaneous raids, detaining 115 of 137 ISIS suspects with active warrants who were allegedly planning attacks on Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, particularly targeting non‑Muslims.
- Istanbul police seized numerous firearms, ammunition and documents during the operations, according to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
- Syrian security forces, in separate but recent actions near Damascus, captured Taha al‑Zoubi, identified as ISIS’s leader for the Damascus area, and killed senior ISIS commander Mohammed Shahadeh in raids on the capital’s outskirts.
- Top Turkish officials visited Syria earlier in the week to discuss counterterrorism cooperation against ISIS and other issues, signaling coordination with Damascus and, in the broader context, with the U.S.-led campaign.
Jordan says its air force joined U.S. strikes against Islamic State group in Syria
New information:
- Jordan’s military publicly confirmed that its air force took part in the U.S.-led retaliatory strikes, conducting “precise airstrikes” on several ISIS positions in southern Syria.
- CENTCOM specified that U.S. and partner forces struck more than 70 ISIS targets at multiple locations across central Syria with fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery, and that Jordan supported with fighter aircraft.
- CENTCOM stated that since the Dec. 13 attack, U.S. and partner forces have conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 ISIS operatives, and more than 80 counterterrorism operations in Syria in the past six months.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least five people killed in Friday’s strikes, including the leader and members of an ISIS cell.
- Jordan framed its role as aiming to prevent extremist groups from using southern Syria as a launching pad to threaten neighboring countries and the wider region, citing ISIS regrouping there.
- President Trump reiterated his backing for Syrian interim President Ahmad al‑Sharaa and said al‑Sharaa was “fully in support” of the U.S. strikes against ISIS.
Syria monitor group says at least 5 ISIS members killed by U.S. strikes
New information:
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least five people killed in the U.S. retaliatory strikes, identifying them as the leader and members of an ISIS cell.
- Jordan publicly confirmed that its air force took part in the operation, describing "precise airstrikes" on several ISIS positions in southern Syria to prevent extremist groups from using the area as a launchpad.
- U.S. officials told CBS News that F-15s, A-10s, Apache helicopters, and Jordanian F-16s were used in the strikes, adding more detail on the platforms involved beyond earlier generic descriptions.
- CENTCOM reiterated on X that more than 100 precision munitions were used against more than 70 ISIS-related targets and framed the mission as a "massive strike" specifically targeting ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites.
- The article confirms the identity and background of the assailant as a Syrian internal security forces base guard who had been under investigation for possible ISIS ties and recently reassigned.
- President Trump publicly reiterated his backing for Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and said al-Sharaa was "fully in support" of the U.S. strikes against ISIS.
- The story notes that since the Dec. 13 attack, U.S. and partner forces have conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq, killing or detaining 23 ISIS operatives and bringing the six‑month total to more than 80 counterterrorism operations in Syria.
Strikes on Islamic State Pound a Foe the U.S. Once Thought Defeated
New information:
- Wall Street Journal explicitly notes that Jordanian forces joined the U.S. in the strikes on more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria.
- Article underscores that the U.S. had previously declared ISIS militarily defeated about five years ago, highlighting the persistence of the threat.
U.S. launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths
New information:
- NPR/AP piece confirms the same large-scale strike is framed by the administration as 'not the beginning of a war' but 'a declaration of vengeance,' providing that specific quoted language from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Details that the operation hit 70 targets 'across central Syria' with Islamic State infrastructure and weapons, and that 'more strikes should be expected,' as described by unnamed U.S. officials.
- Trump, in a North Carolina speech, called it a 'massive strike' that hit 'ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup,' and issued an all-caps threat on social media warning terrorists they will be 'hit harder than you have ever been hit before' if they attack or threaten the U.S. again.
- The article emphasizes that Syria’s new president Ahmad al‑Sharaa is 'fully in support' of the U.S. operation and that the ambush is a major test of warming U.S.–Syria ties after Assad’s ouster.
- Explicit listing of platforms used: F‑15 Eagle jets, A‑10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft, AH‑64 Apache helicopters, F‑16s from Jordan, and HIMARS rocket artillery, with CENTCOM saying more than 100 precision munitions were used.
- Context that the strikes occur as the Trump administration shifts significant resources away from the Middle East toward a Caribbean/South America focus, sending its most advanced carrier from the Mediterranean to South American waters.
U.S. conducts strikes on ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for killing of American soldiers
New information:
- CENTCOM says roughly 70 ISIS targets in Syria were struck, including infrastructure and weapons sites, using more than 100 precision munitions.
- Key target areas are specified as near Deir ez-Zur (close to the Iraqi border), Raqqa in northern Syria, and Homs in central Syria, in addition to the Palmyra area tied to the earlier attack.
- The operation began around 4 p.m. ET on Friday and involved U.S. fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery.
- CENTCOM says Jordan’s armed forces supported the operation with fighter aircraft, confirming explicit Jordanian participation.
- CENTCOM reports that since the Dec. 13 attack, U.S. and partner forces have carried out 10 operations in Syria and Iraq, killing or detaining 23 ISIS operatives.
- President Trump publicly stated that Syrian President Ahmad al‑Sharaa supports the operation and praised him as 'working very hard to bring Greatness back to Syria.'
- Trump posted a Truth Social warning that terrorists who attack or threaten the U.S. 'will be hit harder than you have ever been hit before,' framing the strikes as 'very serious retaliation.'
- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reiterated that the strikes aim at eliminating ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons, and called the campaign 'a declaration of vengeance.'
U.S. launches retaliatory strikes on ISIS in Syria after ambush attack
New information:
- CBS frames the action broadly as 'airstrikes in central Syria targeting suspected sites linked to the Islamic State terror group,' reinforcing that ISIS-linked infrastructure is the target.
- The piece reiterates that the triggering attack was an ISIS ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter and situates the new strikes as directly retaliatory for that incident.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces "Operation Hawkeye Strike" in Syria
New information:
- Confirms that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally announced the start of Operation Hawkeye Strike in a social media post on Friday.
- Identifies CBS News Pentagon reporter Eleanor Watson as providing additional Pentagon context in this segment (attribution detail, not substantive new facts).
U.S. begins strikes on ISIS targets in Syria
New information:
- CBS explicitly characterizes the action as the U.S. 'has begun airstrikes on ISIS targets in central Syria,' reinforcing that ISIS is the stated target.
- Confirms again that the triggering incident involved the deaths of two National Guard members and a translator 'earlier this week,' aligning the timeline between the ambush and the start of strikes.
Hegseth announces operation to ‘eliminate ISIS fighters’ in Syria after Americans killed
New information:
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly announces the start of an operation to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” in Syria, explicitly framing it as a 'declaration of vengeance.'
- A U.S. official tells AP that the retaliatory strikes are being conducted with F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft, and AH-64 Apache helicopters, and that more strikes are expected.
- The article reiterates the Trump administration’s position that ISIS is responsible while stressing that Syrian government forces are fighting alongside U.S. troops, with Trump saying Syrian President Ahmad al‑Sharaa is 'extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.'
- White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly issues an on‑record statement that Trump is 'delivering on' his promise of retaliation.
- The article provides full identification of the civilian interpreter killed: Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Macomb, Michigan.
Trump orders ISIS strikes in Syria after Iowa National Guard soldiers killed
New information:
- Confirms U.S. retaliation was executed on Friday as air and other strikes against more than 50 suspected ISIS targets in and around Palmyra, Syria, under the name 'Operation Hawkeye Strike'.
- Details that the operation’s codename explicitly refers to Iowa (the Hawkeye State), tying the strikes symbolically to the fallen Iowa National Guard soldiers.
- Provides Pete Hegseth’s on‑the‑record quote framing the operation as 'a declaration of vengeance' rather than 'the beginning of a war' and warning that anyone targeting Americans will be 'targeted for death.'
- Adds that since the Dec. 13 attack, the Syrian government and U.S. forces conducted 10 partnered raids across Syria, killing or detaining more than two dozen ISIS‑affiliated individuals and seizing electronics that generated the intelligence for Friday’s strikes.
- Reports that a CENTCOM review is investigating the shooter’s ties after he joined the Syrian Security Forces two months earlier and was already in the process of being removed for suspected jihadist links.
U.S. strikes ISIS targets in Syria, after 3 Americans killed last week
New information:
- The U.S. has begun conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets in central Syria in what officials describe as retaliation for last week’s ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. interpreter.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the retaliation as 'Operation Hawkeye Strike,' saying U.S. forces are targeting ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites.
- The operation involves 'dozens of targets' at multiple locations across central Syria and uses fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and artillery.
- The article names the three Americans killed in the earlier attack as Sgt. William Howard and Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar of the Iowa National Guard and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, and notes three other Iowa Guardsmen were wounded.
- President Trump and Hegseth attended the dignified transfer for the fallen at Dover Air Force Base, and Trump publicly vowed 'very serious retaliation' on TruthSocial.
Deadly strike on US troops tests Trump’s counter-ISIS plan — and his trust in Syria’s new leader
New information:
- Fox News reports Syrian officials say the gunman was part of the new post‑Assad security apparatus, had been internally flagged for extremist leanings, and was in the process of being reassigned when he opened fire.
- The piece foregrounds that the attacker was a member of Syria’s security forces, making the incident an insider attack that exposes vulnerabilities in Syria’s nascent institutions.
- It details new political reaction: Sen. Jack Reed explicitly disputing Trump’s claim to have 'defeated' ISIS and calling ISIS 'still the most capable and dangerous Islamic terrorist group' with intent to strike inside the U.S.
- Sen. Rand Paul, as Homeland Security Committee chair, argues on Meet the Press that a few hundred troops in Syria are a 'trip wire' rather than a strategic asset and questions whether they should be there at all.
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for bringing U.S. troops home from Syria, saying they 'should not be sent to foreign countries to be killed in foreign lands like Syria.'
- Trump’s Syria envoy Tom Barrack is quoted saying the killings 'underscore the need' to continue the mission and cooperation with Ahmed al‑Sharaa, signaling the administration intends to double down rather than consider withdrawal.
- The article frames the attack as a test of Trump’s rapid embrace of Syria’s new leader Ahmed al‑Sharaa, stressing that the U.S. partnership depends on trusting a leader who was 'until recently, a wanted terrorist himself.'
US civilian interpreter killed in Syria identified as devoted father of four
New information:
- Identifies the slain U.S. civilian interpreter as Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, born in Bakhdida, Iraq, who worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army during the Iraq invasion from 2003 to 2007.
- Confirms that President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Dec. 17, 2025, for Sakat and the two Iowa National Guard soldiers.
- Names the interpreter’s surviving family members: wife Manahel Daau and children Zeena, Leena, Dina, and Farah.
- Reiterates that a Pentagon official told Fox News Digital the attack occurred outside the control of interim Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa and that initial assessments indicate it was likely carried out by ISIS.
After strike on American troops, what’s next for the US in Syria?
New information:
- Confirms attacker was a member of Syrian security forces — now a U.S. ally — who had recently been flagged for possible ISIS sympathies.
- Syrian officials reportedly warned U.S. counterparts in advance that an ISIS attack on U.S. forces could be imminent, and say the warning was not heeded.
- U.S. has about 1,000 troops in Syria today, with the Trump administration having reduced the number of U.S. bases from eight to three earlier this year and planning to consolidate to a single outpost at Al‑Tanf.
- Details the strategic rationale for keeping Al‑Tanf: not only to fight ISIS, but to monitor Iran and serve as a launch point for surveillance and rapid‑reaction forces.
- Reports indications of an expanded U.S. presence at an airbase in Damascus tied to a prospective U.S.‑brokered Syria‑Israel security agreement and broader cooperation with President Ahmed al‑Sharaa’s new government.
Trump will attend dignified transfer of the 2 National Guard members killed in Syria
New information:
- Trump will attend a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for the two fallen Iowa National Guard soldiers.
- The U.S. civilian interpreter killed was identified as Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Macomb, Michigan.
- The fallen soldiers served with the Iowa National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment.
- Trump reiterated in Oval Office remarks that ISIS was responsible and said the attack 'had nothing to do' with interim Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, whom he continues to support; he noted al‑Sharaa’s recent White House visit and Syria’s entry into the U.S.-led anti‑ISIS coalition.
- Family and Guard leaders provided tributes and biographical details about Sgts. William Nathaniel Howard and Edgar Brian Torres‑Tovar.
U.S. Army names 2 Iowa National Guard members killed in attack in Syria
New information:
- U.S. Army formally identified the fallen as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, both of the Iowa National Guard.
- Iowa National Guard said three other Guard members were wounded: two in stable condition and one in good condition.
- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered flags in Iowa flown at half-staff to honor the soldiers.
- Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said a U.S. civilian interpreter was also killed.
- Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said the assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago, was recently reassigned amid IS suspicions, and stormed a lunch meeting between U.S. and Syrian officials.
- The Army said the incident remains under investigation.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed the U.S. will 'avenge these fallen Americans with overwhelming force.'
- President Trump reiterated that the Syrian government is not to blame and reaffirmed support for President Ahmad al‑Sharaa.
Attack on US forces in Syria tests anti-ISIS mission and warming ties
New information:
- Syria’s Interior Ministry stated an ISIS member infiltrated a meeting of Syrian–U.S. forces in Palmyra.
- Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said U.S. soldiers were in Palmyra to support ongoing counter-ISIS operations; Hegseth said 'partner forces' killed the attacker.
- Contextual firsts: Described as the first attack causing U.S. casualties in Syria since Assad’s fall (Dec. 2024) and first deadly incident since the 2019 Manbij bombing.
- Local accounts quote the attacker as saying 'You are the enemies of god' before opening fire; a Palmyra-based source claims the shooter was from Syrian security forces.
- Analyst assessment (AEI’s Brian Carter) that ISIS infiltration aims to derail U.S.–Syria ties but is unlikely to significantly alter the relationship.
U.S. soldiers killed in Syria ambush attack identified
New information:
- CBS identifies the fallen as 29-year-old Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown and 25-year-old Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar of Des Moines.
- Adds hometowns and ages of the two Iowa National Guardsmen.
- Reiterates that a civilian interpreter was also killed.
War Sec. Hegseth issues statement after two U.S. soldiers killed in Syria are identified
New information:
- War Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a public statement asking for prayers for Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and vowed the U.S. will respond with force.
- Iowa National Guard identified the unit as 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
- Three additional Iowa Guard soldiers were wounded: two medically evacuated and in stable condition; one treated locally and in good condition (names withheld under policy).
- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered state flags at half-staff to honor the two fallen soldiers.
- Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn identified his son, Sgt. William “Nate” Howard, and posted a public tribute.
- Initial assessment in this report says the gunman was ISIS-affiliated and operating outside the area controlled by interim Syrian authorities.
+ 13 more sources