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On Saturday, the U.S. military carried out another retaliatory air strike against the Islamic State group in Syria. The attack resulted in the death of a U.S. service member.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it carried out strikes “across Syria” as part of Operation Hawkeye but did not disclose casualties.
An unnamed U.S. official told CNN The operation used two dozen aircraft and fired 90 precision munitions at more than 35 targets.
Video shared on Central Command social media showed F-15E fighter jets and A-10 Warthogs taking off in a montage, complete with grainy “unclassified” footage of explosions.
“Our message remains strong: If you harm our warriors, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice,” a statement said.
Central Command did not specify where the attack occurred, noting only that it occurred in the early afternoon ET.
The military said the attacks were part of Operation Hawkeye, which was launched after Islamic State militants killed U.S. military personnel in Syria last month.
According to reports, two US soldiers and a civilian translator were killed in the incident in Palmyra on December 13. The soldiers were identified as 25-year-old Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar of Des Moines, Iowa, and 29-year-old Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, Iowa.
Three other Iowa National Guard members were injured in an ISIS attack.
“Today’s strikes targeted the Islamic State throughout Syria as part of our ongoing commitment to eradicate Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks and protect U.S. and partner forces in the region,” U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
“U.S. and coalition forces remain determined to pursue terrorists who seek to harm the United States.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared the statement, adding: “We will never forget and we will never let up.”
Florida Rep. Jimmy Patronis added: “The United States possesses the most lethal fighting force in the world. Let it be known that the President of the United States’ ‘peace through strength’ agenda is not a slogan, but a promise kept.”
The Trump administration announced the operation in December, launching a massive strike in Jordan that hit 70 targets in central Syria that housed Islamic State infrastructure and weapons.
The attacks are part of a broader campaign by the U.S.-led coalition, which has been conducting air and ground operations across Syria in recent months targeting suspected Islamic State members, often in cooperation with Syrian security forces.
The Syrian government has been cooperating in the fight against the Islamic State since the agreement was reached late last year during President Ahmed Sala’s visit to the White House.
Syria is led by former rebels who ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024 after a 13-year civil war and includes members of Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate who broke away from the group and clashed with the Islamic State.
The Pentagon referred questions about Saturday’s attack back to Central Command’s statement, and the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.