On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command revealed that nearly 25 ISIS operatives have been either neutralized or apprehended by U.S. forces and their allies following a strike on December 19 in Syria.
According to an update from CENTCOM on their X account, U.S. and partner forces eliminated at least seven ISIS members and captured others during 11 operations conducted between December 20 and 29. These missions also resulted in the destruction of four ISIS weapons caches.
The statement detailed that these operations were a continuation of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which commenced on December 19. In collaboration with Jordanian forces, U.S. units targeted over 70 sites using more than 100 precision-guided munitions. The extensive assault, involving numerous fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery, dismantled ISIS infrastructure and weaponry across central Syria.
In a related event, President Donald Trump, together with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, convened a Cabinet meeting in the White House’s Cabinet Room in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Over the past year, operations by U.S. and allied forces in Syria have resulted in the detention of more than 300 terrorists and the elimination of over 20, as reported by CENTCOM.
Additionally, the CENTCOM update highlighted that this year alone, ISIS-inspired plots or attacks against U.S. targets have occurred at least 11 times.
President Donald Trump salutes as he observes the return of the remains of two Iowa National Guard members and a translator killed in an attack in Syria during a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Dec. 17, 2025. ( ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images)
“We will not relent,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement. “We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”
“Continuing to hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks, and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence makes America, the region, and the world safer,” Cooper added.
Two Iowa Army National Guard soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed earlier this month in Syria. The soldiers were later identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. The interpreter was Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54.
