US forces struck more than 70 targets across central Syria in overnight raids that killed at least five IS members, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. CENTCOM reported the operation used fighter jets, attack helicopters, artillery and more than 100 precision munitions. Jordan confirmed its air force joined the strikes, which were carried out in response to a December 13 attack in Palmyra that killed two US soldiers and one US civilian. CENTCOM added that coalition operations since that attack have led to 23 deaths or detentions of suspected militants.
US Airstrikes Kill At Least Five IS Militants In Central Syria; Jordan Confirms Participation
Trump said it was retaliation for the December 13 attack that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian (TASOS KATOPODIS)(TASOS KATOPODIS/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)
A Syria monitoring group reported on Saturday that US-led airstrikes killed at least five members of the Islamic State (IS) group in eastern Syria, and Jordan confirmed its air force joined the operation. The strikes, described by US officials as a direct response to a deadly attack on American personnel, targeted multiple IS positions across central Syria.
What Happened
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes hit more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria using fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery. CENTCOM added that the operation employed over 100 precision munitions against known IS infrastructure and weapons sites.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), told AFP that "at least five members of the Islamic State group were killed" in Deir Ezzor province, including the leader of a local cell responsible for operating drones.
'Intense Bombardment' Across The Badia
An anonymous Syrian security source said the strikes targeted IS cells in the vast Badia desert, including parts of Homs, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces. According to Syrian sources the bombardment was "intense" and lasted around five hours; officials said the strikes were far from population centres and reported no mass displacement of civilians.
Syrian authorities and CENTCOM both said the operation did not include ground forces. Damascus — while not directly commenting on the US strikes — reiterated on X that it remains committed to denying IS safe havens and will continue operations against the group where it poses a threat.
Context And Regional Moves
The strikes followed a December 13 attack in Palmyra that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian. Washington said a lone IS gunman carried out the Palmyra attack; Syrian officials said the assailant was a member of the security services facing dismissal over "extremist Islamist ideas." IS has not claimed responsibility for that incident.
CENTCOM said that since the Palmyra attack US and allied forces have conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 suspected militants. US forces maintain positions in northeastern Syria and at the Al-Tanf garrison near the Jordanian border.
Separately, Israel said its military detained a suspected IS member in Rafid in southern Syria and transferred the suspect to Israeli territory for further processing. Syrian state media had also reported an Israeli incursion in Quneitra province earlier in the week.
Why It Matters: The strikes underscore ongoing instability in Syria's deserts, where IS remnants continue to operate despite the group's territorial defeat in 2019. They also highlight continued international military coordination — including Jordan's confirmed participation — in countering renewed IS activity.
