The United States military has announced a significant blow against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, revealing that nearly 25 of the militant group's operatives have been killed or captured in a series of operations this month.
Retaliation and Escalation Following Deadly Ambush
This intensified campaign follows a tragic incident on 13 December. An ambush near the ancient city of Palmyra resulted in the deaths of two members of the Iowa National Guard and a civilian interpreter from Michigan. Three other US troops and members of Syria's security forces were wounded during the attack, which occurred as American and Syrian officials were meeting.
Syrian officials stated the gunman, who was killed, had been a base security guard within Syria's internal security forces. He had recently been reassigned due to suspicions of affiliation with Islamic State.
Coordinated Strikes Across Central Syria
In response, US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched initial retaliatory strikes on 19 December, hitting 70 ISIS targets across central Syria, including weapons sites and infrastructure. Fighter jets from Jordan participated in these missions.
Over the following ten days, a further 11 missions were executed. CENTCOM reported that US forces, working alongside regional partners including Syrian troops, killed at least seven ISIS members, captured others, and eliminated four weapons caches.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads CENTCOM, declared in a statement, "We will not relent. We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to US and regional security."
Deepening US-Syria Counter-Terrorism Partnership
A senior US official, speaking anonymously, highlighted a crucial development: growing collaboration with Syria's relatively new government. This cooperation has enabled US forces to target ISIS in areas of Syria where they previously did not operate.
The official drew a parallel to the US partnership with Iraq a decade ago, suggesting the goal is to eventually hand over the counter-ISIS effort fully to Syrian forces. Syrian troops were described as the "driving force" behind some of this year's missions.
The official also noted that targets in the recent operations ranged from senior ISIS leaders under surveillance to lower-level fighters. The post-ambush strikes served as a major test for the warming ties between Washington and Damascus following last year's ouster of autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad. US President Donald Trump remarked that Syria's new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, was "extremely angry and disturbed by this attack."
