Damascus, Syria – On December 19, US Central Command (CENTCOM) commenced Operation Hawkeye Strike. CENTCOM forces struck more than 70 targets across central Syria with jets, helicopters and artillery. The Jordanian Armed Forces participated with fighter aircraft. More than 100 precision munitions were employed while targeting known ISIS weapons, and infrastructure sites.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said, “This operation is critical to preventing ISIS from inspiring terrorist plots and attacks against the US homeland,” while adding, “We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our partners across the region.”
Palmyra Attack and Follow-on Raids
On December 13, three Americans – two US National Guard members and a civilian interpreter – were killed in Palmyra by an attacker who targeted a convoy of US and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the US military.
Three US soldiers were also wounded in the attack. The killer was a member of the Syrian Security Forces, but had been radicalized by ISIS.
After the attack on US and Syrian personnel, US and partner forces carried out 10 operations in Syria and Iraq resulting in the detention or deaths of 23 terrorist operatives.
In the last six months, the US and partner forces in Syria have carried out more than 80 operations to eliminate terrorists posing a direct threat to the US and regional security.
Trump Comments and Syrian Government Response
According to US President Donald Trump, the US military has “hit the ISIS [ISIL] thugs in Syria”.
While delivering a speech Friday evening in North Carolina, Trump said he “ordered a massive strike on the terrorists that killed our three great patriots last week”.
“It was very successful. It was precision,” Trump added. “We hit every site flawlessly and we are restoring peace through strength all over the world.”
Trump posted on Truth Social platform that the Syrian government was “fully in support” of the US military operation.
According to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs it “invites the United States and member states of the international coalition to support these efforts”.
According to Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of War, the US forces had targeted “ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites”.
According to sources on the ground, the strikes hit central and northeastern parts of the country, and residents in Palmyra and Raqqa said they heard the sounds of fighter jets and huge explosions throughout the night.
Political Context: Investment Push and SDF Integration
This latest operation came as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is trying to entice investors to Syria, in light of the recent repeal of the Caesar Sanctions Act by the US Congress, and the signing into law by Trump. The crippling sanctions had prevented Arab and foreign investors from financial investments to rebuild Syria, including energy development projects.
Al-Sharaa and General Mazloum Abdi of the Kurdish SDF signed an agreement to merge their forces which carried a deadline of implementation before January 1, 2026. The SDF are the US-supported militia in the Syrian northeast which were instrumental in the defeat of ISIS in 2019.
The killing of three Americans in Syria while meeting with the Syrian Security Forces has put pressure on the Sharaa administration to implement the merger of SDF and the Syrian Security forces to bolster the US military and Jordanian partners in an effort to eradicate the ISIS threat.
The Trump administration is determined to help Syria recover from 50 years of dictatorship. Getting rid of the security threat of ISIS is necessary to move forward.
UK Sanctions on Syrian Militias
On December 19. The UK announced sanctions against militia leaders and groups it says were involved in violence against civilians in Syria.
In March, about 1.400 were killed during clashes in coastal Syria. According to the UK Foreign Office. Three groups and four commanders have had their assets frozen over their involvement in suspected atrocities during clashes in coastal regions, as well as during the Syrian civil war.
“Accountability and justice for all Syrians is vital to ensure a successful and sustainable political settlement”, the foreign secretary said, while adding “These designations send a clear message to those who seek to undermine the peaceful and prosperous future of all Syrians.”
Islamist-led rebels ousted Assad one year ago, which exposed sectarian divisions in Syria.
Violence erupted this spring along Syria’s coast, after security forces of the new government – mostly Sunni Muslims – clashed with armed men linked to the former Assad regime.
According to the UK government, the sanctions target individuals and groups accused of serious human rights violations across Syria.
Among those targeted are Mohammad al-Jasim, known as ‘Abu Amsha,’ commander of the Sultan Suleiman Shah faction, also known as the Amshat, who was appointed commander of the 62nd Division in Syria’s new army, and Sayf al-Din Boulad, known as ‘Sayf Abu Bakr,’ commander of the Hamza Division, appointed commander of the 76th Division.
According to the British decision, the Sultan Suleiman Shah militia group, and the Hamza Division militia group were previously part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army before later being integrated into the ranks of Syria’s new army. These groups are also accused of committing widespread abuses in the Afrin region following the 2018 offensive.
Britain also imposed asset freezes on several armed factions, including the Sultan Murad Division, led by Fahim Issa, who was appointed deputy defense minister in Syria’s transitional government and commander of the northern region.
Abu Amsha, faced calls for his dismissal and exile from Syrian opposition groups in 2022 due to alleged abuses, with a committee recommending his removal, but reports suggest he continued participating in Syrian National Army events, due to Turkish support.
In March, British media reported clashes between Syrian security services and fighters loyal to the ousted Assad regime which killed more than 1,000 people, including 745 civilians. The massacre aimed at Alawites on the coast was the biggest challenge Syria’s new authorities faced since taking power.
Up to 4,000 Assad loyalists started the violence by simultaneously attacking Syrian security checkpoints in the coast. Miqdad Fatiha, a former Assad security officer, masterminded the operation.
Security forces, buoyed by reinforcements, began to fight Assad regime loyalists. Syrian government forces and armed civilians arrived at Alawite villages near Latakia, and videos of abuses began to surface on social media. Civilians reported massacres by security forces.
According to the SNHR investigation, most of the killings of civilians and prisoners by Syrian security forces were committed by two specific factions, as well as individuals who joined military convoys.
The report said the two factions were the Abu Amsha and Hamzat divisions. Both factions and their leaders are under US sanctions for alleged serious human rights abuses including rape and torture.
“We will hold accountable, with full decisiveness, anyone who is involved in the bloodshed of civilians, mistreats civilians, exceeds the state’s authority or exploits power for personal gain. No one will be above the law,” Sharaa said in the aftermath of the coastal massacres.
ISIS Activity in Idlib Province
ISIS has been very active lately in Idlib province. On November 28, an ISIS cell attacked Syrian Security Forces and were detained near Maarat Numan. The same day, ISIS killed one Syrian soldier and fired on a government vehicle at Saraqab. One December 3, ISIS fired at a truck near Zerba and killed two customs officers. On December 14, ISIS fired on a Syrian Interior Ministry vehicle and killed four officers at Maarat Numan. All of these incidents were on the M5 highway.
Outlook: Security as a Precondition for Reconstruction
Security must be improved in Syria before investors will begin projects. Infrastructure such as water, electricity, labor supply and resources all sit ready to be put to use in Syria’s reconstruction, but security is the underpinning of economic growth.
