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U.S. forces conducted 10 airstrikes on over 30 ISIS targets in Syria from February 3–12, focusing on infrastructure and weapons depots.
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Operation Hawkeye Strike was launched in retaliation for the December 2025 ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter near Palmyra.
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More than 50 ISIS fighters killed or captured and over 100 militant targets struck since the campaign began.
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The U.S. has finalized the transfer of thousands of ISIS detainees to Iraq for trial while the Syrian government regains control of former U.S. bases.
GG News Bureau
Washington, United States , 15th February : U.S. forces have intensified military operations in Syria this month, carrying out a series of retaliatory strikes against Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) targets following a deadly attack on American personnel late last year. Between February 3 and February 12, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that its aircraft and unmanned systems struck more than 30 ISIS positions around central and eastern Syria as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, an ongoing campaign designed to degrade the extremist group’s capabilities and deter further attacks.
The current round of air operations was launched as a direct response to an ambush on December 13, 2025, near the ancient city of Palmyra. That attack — attributed to an Islamic State‑linked assailant — resulted in the deaths of two U.S. service members, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres‑Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, along with an American civilian interpreter. The strikes in early February targeted ISIS infrastructure such as weapons depots, storage facilities, and transit hubs used by militants.
CENTCOM said American forces used precision munitions delivered by fixed‑wing aircraft, rotary‑wing platforms and unmanned aerial vehicles during the ten raids conducted across the period. These strikes are aimed at sustaining “relentless military pressure” on diminishing ISIS cells that remain active throughout the war‑torn country.
Over the past two months of operations, more than 50 ISIS fighters have been killed or captured and over 100 ISIS targets struck across Syria, according to U.S. military statements. The campaign reflects Washington’s continued commitment to counterterrorism efforts in the region despite recent shifts in overall U.S. policy and military posture in Syria.
In parallel with the air campaign, U.S. forces and their partners completed the transfer of thousands of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq for prosecution at the request of the Iraqi government. This wider detention and prosecution effort aims to prevent former fighters from escaping custody as control of detention facilities changes hands.
The strikes also come amid broader geopolitical shifts in Syria. The Syrian government recently reclaimed the al‑Tanf military base, a strategic location long operated by U.S. forces in the fight against ISIS. This transfer marks a significant development as Damascus seeks to extend its authority across the country following years of conflict and fragmentation
