US launches ‘large-scale’ attacks against ISIL in Syria after deadly ambush
The US military, through US Central Command (CENTCOM), conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS (also known as ISIL) targets across Syria on January 10, 2026. These attacks form part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched in response to a deadly ambush in Palmyra on December 13, 2025, that killed two American soldiers and one US civilian interpreter.
The Palmyra ambush involved an ISIS-linked gunman targeting US and Syrian forces during counterterrorism operations. CENTCOM attributes the attack directly to ISIS, prompting President Trump’s authorization of retaliatory actions starting December 19, 2025.
Strikes occurred around 12:30 p.m. ET (17:30 GMT), hitting multiple ISIS sites including infrastructure, weapons depots, and supply routes nationwide in Syria. Conducted with partner forces (details undisclosed), the operations released aerial footage of explosions in rural areas; no immediate casualty reports from ISIS side were provided.
Initial Operation Hawkeye Strike phases targeted over 70 central Syria sites, killing or capturing about 25 ISIS militants by late December 2025. These efforts continue amid shifting US partnerships post-Bashar al-Assad’s 2024 ouster, increasingly involving Damascus alongside Kurdish-led forces.
