Operation Hawkeye Strike: US kills Al-Qaeda-linked leader in Syria linked to ISIS ambush that killed three Americans

US retaliatory strikes in Syria kill leader tied to deadly Islamic State ambush (file image)

• US airstrike in Syria kills senior Al-Qaeda militant linked to attack on US troops
• Strike part of ongoing US campaign targeting ISIS infrastructure and operatives
• Over 100 ISIS sites hit and 300 operatives captured in past year across Syria

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The United States has carried out another airstrike in Syria, killing a senior militant figure linked to last month’s deadly attack on American personnel, US officials said, marking Washington’s third round of retaliatory action in the region.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader with operational links to the Islamic State militant responsible for the December 13 ambush that killed two US soldiers, Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard, along with civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”

Reacting to the X post by CENTCOM, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted, “We will never forget, and never relent."

The strike forms part of a wider US military campaign ordered by President Donald Trump after the attack, aimed at dismantling what he described as “ISIS thugs” attempting to regroup following the ouster of former Syrian leader Bashar Assad last year.

Trump has said Syrian forces are operating alongside US troops as Washington deepens cooperation with regional partners under the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group. He also said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack."

According to CENTCOM, the operation, known as “Hawkeye Strike,” has involved the United States and partner nations, including Jordan and Syria, with more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons sites targeted so far using over 200 precision munitions.

US forces have also reported significant progress over the past year, capturing more than 300 ISIS operatives and killing over 20 across Syria.

The latest strike underscores Washington’s continuing effort to prevent the militant group from re-establishing a foothold in the country amid ongoing instability.