Intensive American airstrikes against ISIS mercenaries in Syria

US forces in Syria have launched a large-scale military operation dubbed “Hawkeye,” carrying out intensive airstrikes on ISIS mercenary positions east of Raqqa and west of Deir ez-Zor, with the aim of dismantling their hideouts and preventing their resurgence. The operation comes as a direct response to a recent attack carried out by the group in the city of Palmyra.

20 December, 2025 10:10

NEWSDESK

US forces began implementing a wide-ranging operation against ISIS mercenaries in Syria, under the name “Hawkeye,” which included intensive airstrikes targeting dozens of sites east of Raqqa and west of Deir ez-Zor.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the operation was launched following prolonged flights by US aircraft over Syrian airspace, affirming that the strikes are intended to dismantle ISIS’s infrastructure, cripple its operational capabilities, and prevent its return to activity. He added that the operation is ongoing and focuses on eliminating ISIS mercenaries and denying them any safe haven.

For his part, US President Donald Trump described the operation as a “harsh and painful response” to the attack in Palmyra, stressing that the strikes aim to send a decisive message to ISIS.

Hegseth emphasized that the operation “is not the beginning of a war, but a targeted retaliatory mission,” noting that approximately 70 military and logistical sites belonging to ISIS were struck.

In a statement posted on the platform “X,” US Central Command announced that American forces had launched “a wide-ranging strike against ISIS’s infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria,” explaining that the operation followed an attack targeting US forces on December 13.

Six aircraft from the international coalition took part in the operation, as part of military coordination aimed at weakening ISIS networks and preventing the reorganization of its ranks. The strikes focused on sites suspected of being used for planning, supply, and cutting off supply lines.

The Wall Street Journal quoted a US official as saying that the operation involved F-15 and A-10 fighter jets, in addition to Apache helicopters and HIMARS missiles.

Operation “Hawkeye” comes in response to an attack in Palmyra in central Syria that resulted in the killing of two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter, and the wounding of three others, about a week ago.

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