U.S. Conducts Airstrikes in Syria Following American Deaths

The U.S. military conducted significant airstrikes targeting over 70 ISIS positions in Syria on December 19, 2025, in retaliation for an ambush that killed two American soldiers and a civilian contractor on December 13.

The attack was carried out using F-15 and A-10 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, and HIMARS rocket artillery, delivering more than 100 precision munitions against known ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that this operation, dubbed 'Operation Hawkeye Strike,' was a 'declaration of vengeance' rather than the start of a new war, asserting that the U.S. will not hesitate to defend its personnel.

The fatalities included Iowa National Guardsmen Sgt. William Howard and Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar, along with interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, who were attacked by a lone ISIS gunman in Palmyra. President Trump, who described the strikes as inflicting 'very serious retaliation,' noted that the U.S. military remains committed to preventing an ISIS resurgence and is currently supporting operations in Iraq and Syria with a total of 1,000 troops stationed in Syria.

Reports from Syrian monitoring agencies indicated explosions across various regions in response to the airstrikes, and the Syrian government expressed its commitment to combat terrorism, highlighting the complex interplay of U.S. military operations and Syrian cooperation.