U.S. Strike in Northwest Syria Kills Al‑Qaeda–Linked Leader Tied to Dec. 13 Palmyra Ambush, CENTCOM Says
CENTCOM said a U.S. strike in northwest Syria on Jan. 16 killed Bilal Hasan al‑Jasim, an Al‑Qaeda‑linked leader it alleges was directly connected to the Dec. 13 Palmyra ambush that killed two Iowa National Guard sergeants and an American interpreter. The strike is part of Operation Hawkeye Strike — a series of large‑scale, coalition‑supported retaliatory waves since Dec. 19 that CENTCOM says has hit more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons targets across Syria — and officials reiterated a stern deterrent that the U.S. will find and kill those who harm its warfighters.
📌 Key Facts
- The Dec. 13 Palmyra ambush killed Iowa National Guard Sgts. Edgar Brian Torres‑Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard and U.S. interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat; three additional Guard members were wounded — the attack triggered the U.S. retaliatory campaign.
- The Trump‑ordered campaign, branded Operation Hawkeye Strike, began with a Dec. 19 wave and has continued in multiple large waves (including Jan. 10 and mid‑Jan. strikes) as retaliation for the Palmyra ambush.
- Around 12:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, U.S. forces conducted a large‑scale wave that hit dozens of locations — U.S. officials say at least 35 locations were struck using more than 90 precision munitions and over 20 aircraft (F‑15Es, A‑10s, AC‑130Js, MQ‑9s and Jordanian F‑16s) — and Jordan publicly acknowledged participation.
- A Jan. 16 strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al‑Jasim, whom CENTCOM described as an "experienced" leader affiliated with al‑Qaeda and "directly connected" to the gunman in the Dec. 13 Palmyra ambush.
- CENTCOM says Operation Hawkeye Strike and partner forces have struck more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons targets across multiple waves since Dec. 19; officials have described campaign totals in large numbers of precision munitions (campaign figures cited as 200+ munitions) and significant detainees and battlefield effects.
- CENTCOM released unclassified strike video and issued a pointed deterrent message — including statements that "if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world" and Adm. Brad Cooper’s warning that "there is no safe place" for those who attack or inspire attacks on Americans — and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. will "never forget, and never relent."
- U.S. commanders publicly urged all parties in Syria to avoid escalation, coordinate with U.S. and coalition forces, and specifically pressed the Syrian government to halt attacks between Aleppo and al‑Tabqa while calling for dialogue to prevent wider conflict.
- The strikes come amid broader regional adjustments and diplomacy: U.S. forces have consolidated posture in the region (including a withdrawal from Ain al‑Asad Airbase in Iraq), and U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack held talks with Syrian leadership about re‑engagement and potential sanctions relief as the administration signals conditional support for the al‑Sharaa government.
📊 Relevant Data
Syria's population has undergone significant changes due to the civil war, with more than half of the prewar population of 22 million displaced, including over 6 million refugees abroad and 6.7 million internally displaced persons as of 2024 estimates.
Syria's Civil War: The Descent Into Horror — Council on Foreign Relations
The al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria housed approximately 26,000 people as of October 2025, with about 58% being Syrian (around 15,000), 19% Iraqi (around 5,000), and the remainder third-country nationals, many of whom are women and children affiliated with ISIS fighters; this camp is identified as a site of ongoing radicalization and a factor in ISIS persistence.
Syrian Arab Republic | Global Humanitarian Overview 2026 — OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
Syria's ethnic composition includes approximately 70% Sunni Muslims, who form the majority group across the country, with Arabs making up 80-85% of the population and Kurds around 10%.
Syria's ethnic and religious groups explained — DW (Deutsche Welle)
ISIS persistence in Syria is fueled by factors including political instability following regime change, presence of underground networks, and recruitment in displacement camps like al-Hol, with attacks shifting to northeastern areas in 2025.
From Resurgence to Retrenchment: The Evolution of ISIS After Regime Change — Karam Shaar
📰 Source Timeline (9)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 17, 2026
10:09 PM
US launches new retaliatory strike in Syria, killing leader tied to deadly Islamic State ambush
New information:
- NPR/AP frames this as the 'third round' of retaliatory U.S. strikes in Syria connected to the Dec. 13 ambush.
- The piece reiterates CENTCOM’s description of Bilal Hasan al‑Jasim as an 'experienced terrorist leader' directly tied to the ambush that killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres‑Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, and places the strike explicitly in northwest Syria.
- The article emphasizes that Operation Hawkeye Strike is a Trump‑ordered campaign targeting Islamic State elements 'trying to regroup after the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago,' and notes the administration’s line that Syria is now fighting alongside U.S. troops under President Ahmad al‑Sharaa.
- It repeats and highlights Adm. Brad Cooper’s warning that 'there is no safe place' for those who attack or inspire attacks on U.S. forces, reinforcing the deterrent messaging attached to the operation.
- The story quantifies CENTCOM’s claim that Operation Hawkeye Strike and partners like Jordan and Syria have struck more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons targets.
9:59 PM
US strike eliminates al Qaeda operative connected to ISIS ambush that killed 3 Americans in Syria
New information:
- Confirms CENTCOM describes Bilal Hasan al-Jasim as an 'experienced terrorist leader' who plotted attacks and was 'directly connected' to the ISIS gunman who killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter in Palmyra on Dec. 13.
- Adds a fresh quote from CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper emphasizing there is 'no safe place' for those who conduct, plot or inspire attacks on Americans: 'We will find you.'
- Restates and reinforces Operation Hawkeye Strike metrics: more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons targets hit with over 200 precision munitions, more than 300 ISIS operatives captured and over 20 killed across Syria in the past year.
- Provides additional detail on U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack’s Jan. 10 meeting in Damascus with President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, including his public statement that Trump agreed to lift sanctions to 'give Syria a chance' to move forward.
- Reiterates that the U.S. government publicly 'welcomes Syria’s historic transition' and supports the al-Sharaa government while expressing concern that recent Aleppo developments may challenge the March–April 2025 SDF integration agreements and urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
8:58 PM
U.S. strike kills Al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to ambush in Syria
New information:
- CENTCOM says a Jan. 16 U.S. strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, described as a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
- Al-Jasim is alleged to have been directly connected to the ISIS gunman who killed Sgts. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard and a U.S. interpreter, and wounded three other U.S. service members, in the Dec. 13 Palmyra ambush.
- Adm. Brad Cooper framed the killing as proof the U.S. will pursue anyone who conducts, plots or inspires attacks on Americans and said there is 'no safe place' for such operatives.
- CENTCOM now says Operation Hawkeye Strike has hit more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons targets across multiple waves of strikes since Dec. 19.
- Cooper, in a separate statement the same day, also publicly urged all parties in Syria to prevent escalation, called for dialogue, and specifically pressed the Syrian government to halt attacks between Aleppo and al-Tabqa.
8:54 PM
US troops pull out of major Iraq airbase amid ongoing regional consolidation effort, progress against ISIS
New information:
- U.S. troops have fully withdrawn from Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq as part of a regional consolidation plan announced last fall, according to CENTCOM sources.
- A U.S. official says ISIS in Iraq 'doesn't pose a threat beyond Iraq's capacity to handle on their own,' framing the pullout as a result of progress against ISIS and Iraqi forces' ability to 'stand on their own.'
- U.S. forces are consolidating outside federal Iraqi territory to concentrate on engaging ISIS remnants in Syria, with CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper publicly urging all parties in Syria to avoid escalation between Aleppo and al-Tabqa and to coordinate with U.S. and coalition forces.
- CENTCOM’s new statement on X emphasizes that 'aggressively pursuing ISIS' in Syria requires teamwork among Syrian partners and reiterates that 'a Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors' is vital to regional stability.
11:36 AM
Syrian government forces enter northern towns; Kurdish fighters withdraw
New information:
- Syrian government forces entered the northern towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana on Jan. 17, 2026, after clashes and an agreement with the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led SDF.
- The SDF says Damascus violated a withdrawal agreement by moving into Deir Hafer and Maskana before Kurdish fighters had fully pulled out, while Syrian state media accuses the SDF of violating the deal by attacking an army patrol, killing two soldiers and wounding others.
- Over the previous two days, more than 11,000 civilians fled Deir Hafer and Maskana toward government-held areas amid a government offensive.
- The SDF’s withdrawal decision followed a decree by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al‑Sharaa formally boosting Kurdish cultural and language rights and recognizing Newroz as an official holiday.
- U.S. military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday for talks with SDF leaders, and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi is scheduled to meet U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack in Irbil to discuss the crisis and SDF redeployment east of the Euphrates.
January 11, 2026
5:53 PM
U.S. launches new retaliatory strikes against Islamic State group in Syria
New information:
- Confirms that the latest large-scale strikes under Operation Hawkeye Strike occurred around 12:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT) on Saturday and hit multiple Islamic State targets across Syria.
- Adds that the Jordanian military publicly acknowledged it took part in the strikes, confirming at least one specific partner nation in this wave.
- Includes a sharpened CENTCOM warning: '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.'
- Notes that Syrian officials a day earlier claimed to have arrested the military leader of IS operations in the Levant, though the U.S. does not link that arrest to Saturday’s strikes.
- Clarifies that the Trump administration has branded the response 'Operation Hawkeye Strike' and ties this round explicitly to the December Palmyra ambush that killed two Iowa National Guard sergeants and an American interpreter.
January 10, 2026
10:03 PM
US launches new retaliatory strikes against ISIS in Syria after deadly ambush
New information:
- CENTCOM confirms a new round of retaliatory strikes on ISIS targets across Syria around 12:30 p.m. ET on January 10, 2026.
- The Pentagon says these latest attacks are explicitly part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, President Trump’s named response to the Palmyra ambush.
- This article reiterates the casualties in the Palmyra attack—Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard (both Iowa National Guard), and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat—and ties them directly to the new strikes as the triggering incident.
- CENTCOM issues a fresh statement repeating its deterrent message that if U.S. warfighters are harmed, the U.S. will "find you and kill you anywhere in the world."
- The piece notes that Operation Hawkeye Strike began with a December 19, 2025 wave that hit about 70 ISIS-linked targets across central Syria and that Saturday’s strikes are a continuation of that broader campaign.
9:39 PM
U.S. airstrikes hit ISIS targets in Syria, officials say
New information:
- CENTCOM confirms the latest strikes are part of Operation Hawkeye and describes them as 'large-scale' attacks on ISIS targets 'throughout Syria.'
- U.S. officials say at least 35 locations were hit using more than 90 precision munitions and more than 20 aircraft, including F-15Es, A-10s, AC-130Js, MQ-9s and Jordanian F-16s.
- CENTCOM shared unclassified strike video and issued a pointed deterrent message: 'if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world.'
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly commented on the operation, vowing the U.S. will 'never forget, and never relent.'
- The piece reiterates that the strikes are retaliation for the Dec. 13 Palmyra ambush that killed Iowa National Guard Sgts. William Howard and Edgar Torres Tovar and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, and notes three additional Guard members were wounded.