ISIS and U.S. Military Operations

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.