The United States military has announced a significant blow against ISIS in Syria, confirming the deaths of at least seven fighters and the capture of a dozen more in a series of retaliatory operations this month. The action comes in direct response to a deadly ambush in December that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter.
Retaliation for a Deadly Attack
The operations were launched after a December 13 ambush near the ancient city of Palmyra. The attack claimed the lives of Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, Iowa, both members of the Iowa National Guard. A civilian interpreter from Michigan was also killed. The gunman, who was subsequently killed, had been a member of Syria's Internal Security forces.
Following the assault, US President Donald Trump vowed strong retaliation, promising "a lot of damage done to the people that did it." The subsequent military campaign, named by US Central Command (Centcom), was the fulfilment of that promise.
Coordinated Strikes and Growing Cooperation
According to Centcom, the retaliatory effort began with major airstrikes on December 19, conducted in coordination with Jordanian authorities, which struck 70 ISIS targets across central Syria. This was followed by 11 distinct missions carried out between December 20 and 29.
A senior US official, speaking anonymously, revealed that a growing collaboration with Syria's relatively new government has been pivotal. This partnership has enabled American forces to target ISIS in areas of Syria where they previously could not operate. The official drew parallels to US cooperation with Iraq a decade ago, with the ultimate goal of handing over full counter-ISIS efforts to Syrian forces.
"We will not relent," said Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads Centcom. "We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to US and regional security."
Ongoing Campaign Against ISIS Resurgence
The recent missions resulted in the destruction of four weapons caches. Targets ranged from senior Islamic State operatives under surveillance to lower-level fighters. Centcom has stated that US forces will continue to "hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence."
This year alone, Centcom has conducted dozens of operations that have led to the killing or capture of as many as 300 ISIS fighters. The US maintains roughly 1,000 troops in Syria as the transitional government works to establish full control. The December operations mark a major test for the warming ties between Washington and Damascus since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad.
