US retaliatory strikes in Syria kill leader tied to deadly Islamic State ambush

On January 16, U.S. Central Command reported a strike in northwest Syria that killed Bilal Hasan al‑Jasim, a senior al‑Qaeda‑linked operative described as having direct ties to the ISIS gunman behind the December 13, 2025 ambush near Palmyra that killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter and wounded American and Syrian personnel.

CENTCOM said this operation is part of “Hawkeye Strike,” a large‑scale response to the ambush in which U.S. and partner forces have hit over 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites with more than 200 precision munitions, while over the past year capturing more than 300 ISIS operatives and killing more than 20 across Syria.