U.S. Central Command says U.S. and partner forces killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS operatives in Syria in the days after a large-scale Dec. 19 strike, describing the activity as part of a sustained effort to disrupt the group’s networks and prevent it from rebuilding.
In a statement released from Tampa, Florida, Centcom said follow-on operations ran from Dec. 20 to Dec. 29 and included 11 missions across Syria. The command said at least seven ISIS members were killed and the remaining operatives were captured. Centcom also reported that the missions led to the elimination of four ISIS weapons caches.
The announcement follows what Centcom described as Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched on Dec. 19. Centcom said U.S. and Jordanian forces struck more than 70 targets using more than 100 precision munitions, with aircraft, attack helicopters and artillery involved. The command said the strikes destroyed ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across central Syria.
“We will not relent,” Centcom commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in the statement. He added that the United States remains “steadfast in commitment” to working with regional partners to “root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”
Centcom framed the activity as part of a broader counter-ISIS campaign over the past year. The command said U.S. and partner operations in Syria over the last 12 months resulted in more than 300 terrorists being detained and over 20 killed. It also said ISIS “inspired” at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States in 2025, without providing additional details in the statement.
“Continuing to hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks, and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence makes America, the region, and the world safer,” Cooper said.
ISIS no longer controls territory in Syria and Iraq the way it did at its peak, but U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that cells and facilitators can still generate attacks, exploit instability, and regenerate if pressure eases. Centcom did not identify the individuals killed or captured, nor did it specify precise locations for the raids and weapons caches beyond saying the missions were conducted across Syria.
The figures and operational claims come directly from Centcom and were not independently verified in the statement. Still, the update signals the command intends to pair large strike packages with rapid follow-on raids designed to seize personnel and dismantle weapons stockpiles, aiming to keep ISIS remnants fragmented and on the defensive.