The U.S. military said Tuesday that it killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS operatives during a nine-day counterterrorism operation in Syria following an attack earlier this month that left two American troops dead.
U.S. Central Command said seven terrorists were killed and more than a dozen more were captured during 11 missions in Syria from December 20-29. Those missions were launched a day after the United States and Jordan conducted strikes on more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria.
“We will not relent,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command. “We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”
In addition to taking out the ISIS operatives, American and partner forces destroyed four ISIS weapons caches, Central Command said. The strikes conducted on December 19 by fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in central Syria.
“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,” said Cooper.
The strikes were launched in retaliation for an ISIS attack on December 13 that killed 29-year-old Sgt. Nate Howard and 25-year-old Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar. An American interpreter named Ayad Mansoor Sakat was also killed in the attack. Both Howard and Torres were members of the Iowa National Guard.
“As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said, announcing the strikes.
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According to Central Command, ISIS inspired at least 11 plots or attacks in the United States in 2025. Over the course of the year, American and partner forces have killed more than 20 terrorists and detained more than 300 in Syria.
On Monday, the Justice Department unsealed records showing that a 21-year-old man named John Michael Garza had been charged in Texas for providing bomb components and money to individuals he believed were affiliated with ISIS. Garza allegedly told law enforcement he believed in ISIS ideology and made several cryptocurrency payments he believed were going to fund weapons for the terrorist group.
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