US launches ‘large-scale’ attacks against ISIL in Syria after deadly ambush

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Zaheena RasheedJanuary 11, 2026 at 12:54 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

In response to an ISIL ambush in Palmyra last month that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter, the US military launched another round of "large-scale" attacks against ISIL targets across Syria on Saturday around 17:30 GMT. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, were carried out with partner forces. The US military launched Operation Hawkeye Strike on December 19, with a large-scale strike that hit 70 targets across central Syria that had ISIL infrastructure and weapons. CENTCOM stated the attacks aimed to send a message that the US will find and kill those who harm its warfighters. Since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Washington has increasingly been coordinating with the central government in Damascus.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ministry of Interior (Syria) 30% Damascus 30% Bashar al-Assad 30% Aleppo ×440% Syrian Democratic Forces ×250% Palmyra ×360% Operation Hawkeye Strike ×370% US Central Command (CENTCOM) ×370% Syria ×780% United States ×480% Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ×790%

Keywords

isil 100% syria 90% us military strikes 90% operation hawkeye strike 80% ambush 70% palmyra 60% counterterrorism 60% us central command 50% syrian democratic forces 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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isil syria us military strikes operation hawkeye strike ambush palmyra counterterrorism us central command syrian democratic forces

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