US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that they have carried out “large-scale” airstrikes against ISIS in Syria, saying the hit multiple sites belonging to the terror group as part of their commitment to “pursuing terrorists” and in retaliation for the mid-December incident in which an ISIS infiltrator attacked and killed two US troops and an American civilian translator in Palmyra.
The strikes began Saturday evening, and CENTCOM claimed multiple coalition partners participated, though only Jordan has actually confirmed being involved so far. 35 sites were reportedly hit in the strikes, involving 90 “precision munitions.”
Details of what exactly was hit are unclear, though the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported three checkpoints within the Deir Ezzor Governorate were attacked by coalition strikes, though they noted that no damage was done and no casualties were reported in those cases.
The US has been carrying out strikes intermittently against ISIS in Syria since December 19 in retaliation for the Palmyra incident, calling it “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” They claim to have killed or captured “about 25” ISIS members since the operation began, though none were reported coming from Saturday’s strikes.
ISIS has been aiming to reassert itself in Syria recently, years after having lost materially all of their territory to the Kurdish SDF and other groups. The group retains a capacity to carry out attacks, and has remained active in central and northeastern Syria, as well as trying to establish a foothold elsewhere.
It remains unclear whether the US airstrikes functionally change anything for ISIS, or just give CENTCOM another opportunity to brag about their “ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism” in Syria and justify their continued presence in the country.
Though President Trump ordered US troops out of Syria in his first term, an estimated 1,000 remain on the ground in the country five and a half years later, with no sign they’re actually going anywhere, nor any sign that their operations against ISIS are accomplishing much of anything, since ISIS lost the last village they controlled six years ago.
