Launched after the deadly December 13 Palmyra ambush that killed two US soldiers and an interpreter, the campaign has eliminated over 50 terrorists and 100 sites in two months.
The United States has hammered the Islamic State with a relentless barrage, conducting 10 precision strikes on more than 30 terrorist targets across Syria in just the past two weeks. US Central Command (CENTCOM) released the details in a statement Saturday, framing it as part of Operation Hawkeye – a no-holds-barred push to crush ISIS remnants and keep the pressure dialled up.
These strikes, spanning February 3 to 12, zeroed in on ISIS infrastructure, weapons caches, and logistics hubs using a mix of fixed-wing jets, attack helicopters, and drones firing precision-guided munitions. It’s all about choking off the group’s ability to regroup or plot, especially after they ambushed US and Syrian forces in Palmyra on December 13, killing two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter. CENTCOM notes this builds on five earlier strikes from January 27 to February 2 that took out a comms site, key supply lines, and more arms depots – part of a two-month blitz that’s wiped out over 50 jihadists and 100+ targets with hundreds of smart bombs.
Operation Hawkeye was initiated right after the deadly Palmyra ambush that killed two US troops, which CENTCOM ties to an al-Qaeda-linked ISIS operative, Bilal Hasan al-Jasim. A US strike last month neutralised him in northwest Syria, the third retaliation in a chain aimed at avenging the fallen. From the Al Tanf base in southeastern Syria – a dusty US outpost that’s been a thorn in ISIS’s side since 2014 – American forces keep the fight going, backing local allies while hunting high-value targets.
Escalation from Palmyra Ambush
That December 13 attack wasn’t just any skirmish. ISIS gunmen, possibly with inside help from Syria’s security forces, ambushed a joint US-Syrian patrol near the ancient ruins. Two GIs and and an interpreter were killed; three Syrians were wounded too. Washington hit back hard, launching Op Hawkeye with over 70 initial strikes across central Syria – fighters, helos, artillery, even Jordanian jets pitching in with 100+ munitions on Dec. 19.
Fast-forward to now: These latest 10 strikes signal no letup. CENTCOM’s Adm. Brad Cooper called it vital to stop ISIS from hatching homeland threats. “We’re relentlessly pursuing terrorists who target Americans and our partners,” he said. Over six months, US and allies have run 80+ ops in Syria and Iraq, nabbing or killing two dozen operatives post-Palmyra.
