Recently, a surprise attack in the Syrian desert shocked American forces present in the country
Almost a week ago, near the historic city of Palmyra, a gunman stormed a lunch meeting between American and Syrian security officials.
After an initial confrontation with Syrian guards, he opened fire, killing two American soldiers – Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown – as well as an American civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, from Macomb, Michigan.
Three other American service members and Syrian forces were wounded.
The attacker, who had infiltrated Syria’s internal security forces as a base guard two months prior and had recently been reassigned due to suspected links to the terrorist group ISIS, was killed at the scene.
This incident, attributed to ISIS, occurred in a context where hundreds of American troops are stationed in eastern Syria as part of an international coalition fighting the remnants of the extremist group.
Although ISIS did not directly claim this specific attack, the group assumed responsibility for other subsequent actions against Syrian forces, including one that killed four soldiers in Idlib, calling the government and army of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa “apostates.”
In direct and forceful response, the United States launched Operation Hawkeye Strike, a major military offensive that struck more than 70 ISIS targets in central Syria, including the group’s infrastructure and weapons depots.
The operation involved F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopters, Jordan-based F-16 fighter jets, and HIMARS rocket artillery systems, using more than 100 precision munitions.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American and Jordanian forces destroyed ISIS fighters and installations, with more strikes expected in the coming days.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described the action as “a declaration of revenge,” emphasizing that the U.S., under the leadership of President Donald Trump, will not hesitate to defend its people.
Trump himself called the operation a “very serious retaliation” and a “massive offensive” against “ISIS thugs” attempting to regroup in Syria.
He highlighted the full support of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa-who assumed power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad a year ago-and issued a clear warning to terrorists: any attack or threat against the U.S. will be met with even greater force.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry also condemned the initial attack, reinforcing the need for international cooperation against terrorism and the commitment to eliminating ISIS havens.
Meanwhile, the extremist group continues trying to reorganize in the country, despite its territorial defeat years ago.
This operation marks a moment of intensification in the fight against ISIS, showing that the United States remains vigilant in protecting its troops and allies in the region.
Published in 12/20/2025 09h08
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article: