(Dan Tri) – The US military stated that on January 10, US forces andalliesconducted large-scale airstrikes targeting the so-called Islamic State (IS) inSyria.
(The airstrike involved more than 20 combat aircraft, targeting approximately35 targets. Photo: AFP)
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in a declaration posted on social
media platform X on January 10 that: “At approximately 12:30 p.m. EasternTime on January 10, US forces, in coordination with partner forces, conductedlarge-scale airstrikes targeting multiple IS targets throughout Syria.” According to CENTCOM, the airstrikes were part of Operation HawkeyeStrike. The US and Jordan had also previously conducted another round of airstrikeswithin the framework of this same campaign last month, striking dozens of IStargets. A US official stated that the operation on January 10 utilized more than90precision weapons to attack about 35 IS targets, with the participation of over
20 aircraft. “Our message remains very clear: if you harm our service members, we will
find you and destroy you anywhere in the world, no matter howhard youtrytohide,” CENTCOM declared.
According to CENTCOM, the airstrikes were in retaliation for an ISattacktargeting US and Syrian forces in Palmyra in December 2025 that killed3Americans. Washington stated that a lone IS gunman carried out the attack on December
13 in Palmyra, home to UNESCO-recognized ancient ruins and once under thecontrol of extremist militants. The US personnel targeted were memberssupporting Operation Inherent Resolve, an international effort to combat IS. The attack in Palmyra was the first such incident since Syrian leader Bashar al- Assad was toppled in December 2024. US President Donald Trump has long expressed skepticismregardingWashington’s presence in Syria. During his first term, he ordered a troopwithdrawal but ultimately left US forces in the country. Hundreds of US troops remain deployed in Syria as part of a long-standingUSmission to combat IS, a campaign that began in the mid-2010s when ISrapidlyseized control of vast territory in Syria and Iraq. Subsequently, operations bythe US and partners, along with the regime change in Syria, have largelyeliminated IS’s territorial control. The objective of Operation Hawkeye Strike is to deal a heavy blowtoISremnants in Syria, as well as to degrade the organization’s ability to threatenUS forces in the region.
According toAFP