US carries out strikes in Syria as part of ongoing retaliation against ISIS | CNN Politics

The US military launched extensive strikes against ISIS positions in Syria on January 10, 2026, as part of “Operation Hawkeye Strike,” an ongoing retaliatory campaign. US Central Command reported that forces fired over 90 precision munitions targeting more than 35 locations using more than two dozen aircraft at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Operation Hawkeye Strike began on December 19, 2025, in response to an ISIS attack in Palmyra, Syria that occurred on December 13, 2025, killing two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter. The soldiers were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, both members of the Iowa National Guard. Three additional Iowa National Guard members were wounded in the attack.

The Iowa National Guard deployed approximately 1,800 troops to the Middle East earlier in 2025 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US mission to combat ISIS. US Central Command stated in its release: “Our message remains strong: 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.”

Hundreds of American troops remain stationed in Syria supporting the longstanding US counterterrorism mission. The goal of Operation Hawkeye is to deliver significant damage to ISIS remnants in Syria and diminish their capacity to threaten US forces in the region.

(Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/10/politics/syria-strike-retaliatory-isis)