U.S. Central Command says U.S. and partner forces have killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS figures since a Dec. 19 strike in central Syria. Follow-up missions from Dec. 20–29 killed at least seven militants and removed four weapons caches. CENTCOM reported more than 300 detentions and over 20 enemy deaths in the past year and warned of multiple ISIS-inspired plots targeting the U.S. Adm. Brad Cooper said, "We will not relent."
U.S. and Partners Intensify Campaign Against ISIS After Operation Hawkeye Strike: "We Will Not Relent"
U.S. announces more military actions against ISIS: 'We will not relent'
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that U.S. and partner forces have killed or captured nearly 25 senior ISIS figures since a large-scale strike on Dec. 19 in central Syria.
According to a CENTCOM post on X, forces conducted 11 missions across Syria from Dec. 20–29 that killed at least seven ISIS operatives and captured the remainder of those targets. Those follow-up raids also led to the elimination of four weapons caches.
President Donald Trump, alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, holds a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 2, 2025.
These operations came on the heels of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched Dec. 19, when U.S. and Jordanian forces struck more than 70 targets using over 100 precision munitions. CENTCOM said the strike employed dozens of fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and artillery to degrade ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across central Syria.
Over the past 12 months, CENTCOM reports that activity in Syria resulted in the detention of more than 300 suspected terrorists and the deaths of more than 20 ISIS fighters. The command also warned that this year there were "at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States" inspired by ISIS.
President Donald Trump salutes as he observes the return of the remains of two Iowa National Guard members and a translator killed in an attack in Syria during a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Dec. 17, 2025.
"We will not relent," CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement. He emphasized the U.S. commitment to work with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat to both U.S. and regional security.
"Continuing to hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks, and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence makes America, the region, and the world safer," Cooper added.
The announcement followed an earlier attack in Syria this month that killed two Iowa Army National Guard soldiers and a civilian interpreter. The soldiers were later identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. The interpreter was Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54.
CENTCOM said operations will continue in coordination with regional partners to disrupt ISIS networks, deter attacks, and reduce the group’s ability to plan or inspire violent plots abroad.
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