US launches another retaliatory strike in Syria, killing leader tied to deadly Islamic State ambush

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By ASSOCIATED PRESSJanuary 17, 2026 at 11:53 PM

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The U.S. military conducted a third retaliatory strike in northwest Syria on Friday, killing Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that al-Jasim was directly linked to the Islamic State member responsible for the December 13 ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter. The strike is part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, ordered by President Trump in response to the ambush, targeting ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites. According to CENTCOM, the U.S. and partners like Jordan and Syria have targeted over 100 sites as part of the operation. President Trump emphasized that Syria was fighting alongside American troops and that Syrian President al-Sharaa was angered by the attack.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bashar Assad 40% Brad Cooper 40% Jordan 40% Ahmad al-Sharaa 40% Bilal Hasan al-Jasim 50% Al-Qaeda 60% Operation Hawkeye Strike ×260% Donald Trump 60% U.S. Central Command ×270% Islamic State ×370% Syria ×680% United States ×890%

Keywords

retaliatory strike 90% islamic state 80% syria 80% terrorist leader 70% u.s. military 70% operation hawkeye strike 60% al-qaeda 60% centcom 50% ambush 50% military operation 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

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Source

Associated Press (AP)

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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retaliatory strike islamic state syria terrorist leader u.s. military operation hawkeye strike al-qaeda centcom ambush military operation

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