US Conducts Retaliatory Strikes Against ISIS in Syria

The US carried out a lethal strike against an al Qaeda affiliate leader in Syria, Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who was linked to an ISIS attacker that killed three Americans in December 2025. The strike is part of 'Operation Hawkeye Strike', a series of retaliatory strikes against ISIS following the deadly ambush. The US has hundreds of troops deployed in Syria as part of its mission to combat ISIS. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the strike, stating 'We will never forget, and never relent.' The operation has hit over 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets.

US troops have withdrawn from Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq as part of an ongoing consolidation effort in the region. The withdrawal, completed by Friday, is seen as a sign of progress in rooting out the ISIS threat in Iraq and Iraqi forces' ability to handle the situation on their own. US forces are now consolidating outside of federal Iraqi territory to focus on engaging remnants of ISIS in Syria. The move comes as CENTCOM is calling for cooperation among Syrian partners to combat ISIS. The US has conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched in response to a deadly ISIS attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria.

A US-led operation in Syria has killed an 'experienced terrorist leader' with ties to al Qaeda, Bilal Hasan al Jasim, in retaliation for a December ambush that killed three Americans. The US Central Command described Jasim as directly connected to the ambush, which was carried out by Islamic State militants. The US has conducted multiple rounds of strikes against ISIS targets in Syria, with the latest round targeting the northwest of the country. US officials, including Admiral Brad Cooper and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, have vowed to continue pursuing terrorists who attack American citizens and warfighters.