U.S. Central Command confirmed striking over 70 ISIS targets across Syria using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and other assets during the 58 minutes ending at 12:45 AM UTC on December 20, 2025, as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike in response to the December 13 Palmyra attack that killed three Americans, according to CENTCOM's statement on X. A U.S. official told AL-Monitor the strikes targeted suspected ISIS sites, building on prior operations reported over the past hour. A U.S. servicemember inscribed the names of Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, both Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in the Palmyra attack, on a munition used in the strikes, as shown in imagery posted by Sentinel on X. Separate developments included a two-hour SDF militia raid ongoing in Al-Muwaileh town near Al-Jarnia west of Raqqa, according to Raqqa SL on X. ISIS conducted checkpoints in Idlib targeting HTS leader Joulani's soldiers and security personnel, per JnoubiSyrian on X, and attacked two Syrian Army members in Homs countryside, as reported by Bk_Hanasa on X. ISIS issued a statement threatening soldiers of the Syrian army in Sinjar, Abu Dhuhur, and surrounding villages including Al-Jahman, Umm Mwilat, and Jabriya, warning of attacks across Syrian governorates and urging defection, according to a Telegram post from the Taif lil-Akhbar channel.
