The U.S. launched strikes on multiple ISIS-linked targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for a recent attack that killed two American service members, according to two U.S. officials.
Dubbed “Operation Hawkeye” — a nod to the two fallen U.S. soldiers from Iowa — the strikes hit dozens of ISIS-linked targets across Syria, including infrastructure and weapons storage sites, a U.S. official said. Following the Dec. 13 attack that killed two soldiers and a civilian interpreter, U.S. and partner forces carried out 10 operations, killing or detaining about 23 individuals and seizing electronic intelligence that helped guide the strikes.
Hundreds of U.S. troops remain deployed in Syria as part of the long-running mission to combat ISIS, which began after the group seized large swaths of Syria and Iraq in the mid-2010s. While U.S. and partner operations largely dismantled ISIS’s territorial control, Operation Hawkeye aims to deliver a major blow to remaining ISIS elements and reduce threats to U.S. forces. Partner nations, including Jordan, joined the U.S. in the strikes, according to a U.S. official.
While the Trump administration vowed retaliation after the Dec. 13 attack, CNN reported that Syria’s Interior Ministry said the gunman was part of Syria’s Internal Security service. U.S. and Syrian officials acknowledged the attacker’s ties to ISIS remain unclear, and the group has not claimed responsibility.
The two U.S. service members killed were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Both Iowa National Guard soldiers were killed while engaging hostile forces near Palmyra, Syria, and were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division. Three additional Iowa National Guard members were wounded in the attack and evacuated for further medical treatment. Notably, nearly 1,800 Iowa National Guard soldiers were deployed to the Middle East earlier this year as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
“Our priority right now is supporting the families of our fallen and wounded soldiers,” Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborne, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, previously said in a statement. “The entire Iowa National Guard grieves for this terrible loss, and we stand together to support the soldiers and their families.”
Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria.
This is not the beginning of a war — it is a…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) December 19, 2025
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