The United States and its partner forces carried out large-scale airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets across Syria on Saturday, as Washington moved to retaliate for a deadly attack on its forces in Palmyra.
The strikes, announced by US Central Command (CENTCOM), are part of Operation Hawkeye Strike which was launched in December on the orders of President Donald Trump.
According to CENTCOM, the operation began at around 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time and targeted multiple ISIS positions across the country.
The campaign follows the December 13, 2025 ambush in Palmyra in which two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter were killed.
US officials said the latest action was aimed at weakening ISIS networks, preventing future attacks, and protecting American and partner forces operating in the region.
An American official told CBS News that more than 90 precision-guided munitions were fired at over 35 targets during the operation with more than 20 aircraft taking part.
The aircraft included F-15E fighter jets, A-10 attack planes, AC-130J gunships, MQ-9 drones, and Jordanian F-16s, showing the scale and coordination of the strikes.
The exact locations hit and the number of casualties has not yet been disclosed.
CENTCOM said the message to militants was clear and direct, warning that those who target US forces will be hunted down wherever they try to hide.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that message, saying the United States would never forget and never relent.
When the operation was first announced in December, he described it as a declaration of vengeance not the start of a new war.
Before Saturday’s strikes, US and partner forces had already killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS fighters in 11 missions carried out between December 20 and December 29.
The first mission of Operation Hawkeye Strike on December 19 involved a massive assault on more than 70 targets across central Syria, using over 100 precision munitions.
Syria remains in a fragile state after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, which ended a 13-year civil war.
Although ISIS has been badly weakened, it continues to operate, especially in the north-east, where it has carried out attacks against Kurdish-led forces in 2025.
US officials say the latest strikes show that Washington intends to keep pressure on the group and deny it any chance to rebuild.
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