Middle East
CENTCOM launches series of strikes against ISIS in Syria
Stars and Stripes
January 10, 2026
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle taxis at a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike, on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. The command said it conducted “large-scale strikes” against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Saturday. (U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Central Command and its partner forces on Saturday launched large-scale strikes on multiple Islamic State group targets across Syria, the command said in a news release.
The strikes took place around 12:30 p.m. ET, the release said. The statement, which included a short video featuring unclassified footage of the strikes, did not specify a number of casualties or locations.
The strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched in December after a lone gunman killed three Americans in the Syrian city of Palmyra, two of them soldiers with the Iowa National Guard: Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard.
“We will never forget, and never relent,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X in reference to the strikes.
A day earlier, Syrian officials said their security forces had arrested the military leader of IS’s operations in the Levant.
Saturday’s attacks come after another series of missions from Dec. 20-29 that killed seven members of the terror group and captured another 18. Jordanian forces assisted in the operation. CENTCOM did not say which partners were involved in Saturday’s strikes.
Contributing: The Associated Press, Stars and Stripes reporter Lara Korte.