US forces kill, capture ’nearly 25 ISIS’ fighters in Syria operations

The U.S. military said Tuesday that it had carried out a series of recent operations against the Islamic State in Syria, resulting in the death or detention of “nearly 25 ISIS operatives,” according to a U.S. Central Command release.

Over a nine-day period, U.S. and allied forces conducted 11 operations that killed at least seven ISIS fighters and destroyed four of the group’s weapons caches, the release stated.

“We will not relent,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement. “We are steadfast in [our] commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”

The operations followed Operation Hawkeye Strike, a retaliatory campaign launched after the deaths of three Americans on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria.

A lone gunman carrying out the Dec. 13 ambush killed two members of the Iowa National Guard, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and an American civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat. The assailant was subsequently killed by partner forces.

Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is currently deployed to the region in support of ongoing counter-terror operations. Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack.

Named for the two soldiers from Iowa — the “Hawkeye State” — the campaign involved U.S. and Jordanian forces striking more than 70 targets with over 100 precision-guided munitions, the military said.

Officials noted that the operation included A-10 attack jets, F-15 Eagle fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

“This is not the beginning of the war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at the time, adding that anyone targeting Americans “will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

Central Command said ISIS had inspired at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States over the past year.

In response, CENTCOM said its partner operations in Syria, which number more than 80 over the past six months, have resulted in more than 300 insurgents being detained and over 20 killed.

The Dec. 13 ambush, meanwhile, marked the first combat deaths during Trump’s second term and the first such attack since the government of former Syrian President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December 2024.

The gunman had reportedly joined Syria’s security forces as a base guard two months prior to the attack, but had been reassigned after concerns were raised about potential IS-affiliation, according to Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba.

In the wake of the attack, President Donald Trump vowed “very serious retaliation,” and noted that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was “devastated” and “extremely angry” about the incident.

Al-Sharaa, a one-time al-Qaida-linked target who made a historic visit to the White House last month, led the forces that toppled the Assad regime.

The U.S. currently has hundreds of troops deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

A July 2025 assessment of the Islamic State by the United Nations Security Council reported that “terrorist fighters at large in the Syrian Arab Republic are estimated at more than 5,000.”