As millions of Christians across the world celebrate Holy Week, believers in Nigeria have already been shaken by a Palm Sunday attack that reportedly left dozens dead. 
A group of gunmen opened fire on a crowd in the northern Nigerian Plateau State on Sunday evening as many people returned home from evening worship services. While the official death count is still being confirmed, <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/stories/Palm-Sunday-Attack-Shakes-Nigerian-Community/">local reports</a> have indicated that as many as 27 people could have been killed. 
Some witnesses have <a href="https://persecution.org/2026/03/30/dozens-killed-during-palm-sunday-attacks-in-nigeria/">blamed</a> the terrorist group Boko Haram for the attack while others said it was a group of Fulani militia, a largely Muslim group that has targeted Nigeria’s Christian communities. The attack took place in the majority Christian town of Angwan Rukuba.
&#8220;Here in Jos in Nigeria, we say that there is no Christian holiday or event left on the Christian calendar that has escaped an attack by radical Islamists or terrorists in Nigeria, whether it is Christmas, Easter or Good Friday, Palm Sunday, or Sunday services or whatever. We are trapped,” one local lawyer told Fox News after the attack. 
The attacks have led to calls for action from Congress, including Rep. Mark Harris, a Christian pastor and North Carolina Republican representative, who sent a letter on Thursday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 
Harris pointed to the Palm Sunday attack in Nigeria and violence <a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-christians-sectarian-attacks-suqaylabiyah-d3c66fd9713084c1fbab0c307c77bcf9">targeting</a> the Christian city of Suqaylabiyah in Syria over the weekend. 
“As Christian communities in both countries continue to be terrorized, displaced, and killed for their faith, this crisis requires the Department of State to ensure that both governments take decisive action to protect innocent Christians,” Harris wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio first obtained by The Daily Wire. “When Christians are targeted for worshiping, gathering, and living openly in their faith, the United States should speak with moral clarity and act with resolve — and under President Trump’s and your leadership, we have.”
Harris asked for clarity on if the State Department had taken any action related to the attacks and if any consequences will be imposed on the governments of Syria and Nigeria if they fail to take action over the violence. 
“This urgency is only heightened as Christians around the world observe Holy Week and remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Harris wrote. “At a time when believers should be free to gather in worship, far too many Christians in places like Nigeria and Syria are instead forced to worship in fear, grieve loved ones lost to violence, or wonder whether they will be targeted next simply for living out and practicing their faith.”
The State Department has routinely condemned Christian persecution around the world, recently labeling Nigeria as a country of particular concern for Christian persecution. President Donald Trump ordered strikes targeting Islamic terror groups on Christmas Day, and the country has hired lobbyists to convince the American government it is doing enough to protect Christians. 
“For too long, persecuted Christians around the world have watched the international community issue statements while their churches are burned, their families are slaughtered, and their future in their ancestral homelands disappear,” Harris said. “The United States must remain an unapologetic voice for those who are suffering for their faith and a forceful advocate for governments to uphold their responsibility to protect innocent life.”

NIGERIA-RELIGION-UNREST

Dozens Feared Dead After Christians Targeted In Holy Week Massacre

Christian Persecution

Islamic Jihad

Marco Rubio

Nigeria

Syria

U.S. intelligence and military officials say a coordinated operation moved nearly 6,000 detainees linked to the Islamic State from unstable prisons in northeastern Syria into Iraqi custody, a transfer aimed at preventing a potential mass breakout and a resurgence of the terror group.
The relocation mission, led by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), began on January 21, when American forces transported an initial group of 150 Islamic State fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to secure facilities in Iraq. CENTCOM said as many as 7,000 detainees could ultimately be transferred from Kurdish-run prisons in northeastern Syria into Iraqi-controlled facilities to ensure continued detention amid shifting conditions on the ground. 
In a press release last month, CENTCOM <a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4383698/us-forces-launch-mission-in-syria-to-transfer-isis-detainees-to-iraq/">described</a> the mission as an effort to keep Islamic State detainees in secure custody and prevent them from exploiting regional instability to escape. 
In an interview, a senior U.S. intelligence official told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-thwarted-near-catastrophic-prison-break-6000-isis-fighters-syria">Fox News</a> that agencies had tracked the situation for months as fighting erupted in Aleppo and spread eastward, threatening prisons that have long held ISIS fighters. If those facilities had collapsed amid the chaos, the official said, thousands of militants could have returned to active operations —“the instant reconstitution of ISIS.” 
Officials involved in the operation said a sustained period of interagency coordination, including daily calls led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), was crucial. An ODNI <a href="https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2026/4139-pr-02-26?utm_source=chatgpt.com">press release</a> confirmed that its National Counterterrorism Center provided intelligence support and helped coordinate with CENTCOM, the U.S. State Department, and the Pentagon on the transfers. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the effort “ensure[d] the progress … to dismantle ISIS persists” and credited sustained intelligence analysis for the secure removal of detainees. 
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said facilitating the detainee transfers is “critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.” 
The operation concluded with the transfer of more than 5,700 adult male detainees into Iraqi custody. According to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-iraq-islamic-state-group-centcom-transfer-detainees-prisons-sdf-685c1d9386a1195a591f4d05412eff2b">Associated Press</a>, Iraqi authorities have begun interrogations of many transferred prisoners and intend to pursue prosecutions under Iraqi law. 
The transfer effort comes amid a broader reshaping of authority in northeastern Syria. Long guarded by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), many detention facilities came under threat as government forces advanced in the region and Kurdish control weakened. While some detainees were recaptured after a small break occurred at a prison near al-Shaddadi earlier in the month, officials said the larger transfer helped reduce the risk of a broader ISIS resurgence.
A separate and unresolved concern remains the fate of ISIS-linked families and civilians held in nearby camps. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/few-people-left-syria-camp-that-held-islamic-state-families-former-director-says-2026-02-18/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Reports</a> indicate that facilities such as al-Hol have largely emptied amid recent shifts in control, with many former residents dispersing across Syria or crossing borders into neighboring countries. Humanitarian groups and security experts have raised alarms about the chaotic departure of women and children, citing risks of trafficking, radicalization, and lawlessness. 
<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/17/iraq-alleged-isis-detainees-transferred-from-syria-at-risk-of-abuse?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Human Rights Watch</a> has also voiced concerns about the treatment and legal rights of detainees now held in Iraq. The organization warned that the transfers could expose prisoners to abuse, unfair trials, and torture without appropriate legal safeguards, underscoring a broader debate over how to handle ISIS suspects while maintaining regional security. 
U.S. officials say the focus now shifts to biometric identification, coordinating with detainees&#8217; countries of origin for repatriation, and ensuring that intelligence gathered from the transfers can support future prosecutions. Given the unprecedented scale of the operation and the fluid security situation in Syria, American and Iraqi authorities say their long-term counterterrorism strategy will depend on balancing security, legal accountability, and international cooperation.

Islamic State/Iraq/Syria: A masked Islamic State soldier poses holding the ISIL banner somewhere in the deserts of Iraq or Syria. ISIL publicity image, 2015

Thousands Of ISIS Terrorists Nearly Escaped – Inside The U.S. Operation That Blocked It

ISIS

Terrorism

World

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is introducing the &#8220;Save the Kurds Act&#8221; as violence escalates in northern Syria, proposing &#8220;crippling sanctions&#8221; against any group attacking Kurdish populations. Graham said turning America&#8217;s back on the Kurds, who played a central role in the destruction of the ISIS caliphate, would be a catastrophic blow to U.S. national security and its global reputation.
“Watching the deteriorating situation in Syria with great concern,” Graham stated. “The Kurds are under threat from the new Syrian government that is aligned with Turkey. It would be a disaster for America’s reputation and national security interests to abandon the Kurds, who were the chief ally in destroying the ISIS caliphate. Therefore, I will be introducing legislation this week designed to impose crippling sanctions on any government or group engaged in hostilities against the Kurds. The Save the Kurds Act, I believe, will receive strong bipartisan support and must have teeth to make it effective. Stay tuned.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Watching the deteriorating situation in Syria with great concern. The Kurds are under threat from the new Syrian government that is aligned with Turkey. 
It would be a disaster for America’s reputation and national security interests to abandon the Kurds, who were the chief ally…
&mdash; Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/2016126844945211676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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This legislative push comes as the Kurds face a renewed existential threat from a Turkish-aligned Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The Kurdish commitment to regional stability peaked between 2014 and 2019. Following the fall of Mosul in 2014 and the horrific massacre of thousands of Yazidis in Sinjar, Kurdish forces became the &#8220;boots on the ground&#8221; for the U.S.-led Global Coalition against ISIS. The YPG/YPJ in Syria and the Peshmerga in Iraq held a front line stretching roughly 1,000 kilometers. Key victories, such as the grueling siege of Kobane and the 2017 liberation of the ISIS capital, Raqqa, culminated in the 2019 defeat of the territorial caliphate in Baghouz. Despite these sacrifices, the Kurds now face a &#8220;nightmare reminiscent of 2014,&#8221; with ISIS elements re-emerging amid the chaos created by the new Syrian offensive.
The current crisis is the latest chapter in a long history of systemic persecution across the Middle East.
Following the 1979 Revolution, Kurdish hopes for autonomy were crushed when Ayatollah Khomeini declared a &#8220;holy war,&#8221; leading to thousands of executions. Even today, the Iranian regime utilizes heavy weaponry to suppress Kurdish-led movements, such as the 2022 &#8220;Woman, Life, Freedom&#8221; protests.
For more than a century, Turkey has pursued aggressive assimilation policies toward its Kurdish population, at times banning the Kurdish language and labeling Kurds &#8220;Mountain Turks.&#8221; Turkey views Syrian Kurdish forces as terrorists, leading to multiple military incursions and the current support of the Sharaa government’s offensive.
Recent reports describe horrific war crimes committed by Islamist militias, including the summary execution and beheading of Kurdish fighters. In Raqqa, snipers have reportedly targeted civilians, while thousands of ISIS detainees have escaped from facilities like Shaddadi and Al-Hol, creating a &#8220;security vacuum.&#8221;
The Kurds currently find themselves betrayed by a shifting geopolitical map. After Washington previously signaled that the Kurdish role had &#8220;expired,&#8221; Sen. Graham’s proposed sanctions aim to provide the &#8220;teeth&#8221; necessary to prevent a total ethnic cleansing. Without international intervention, the Kurds remain trapped between a hostile Syrian regime, a Turkish military offensive, and a lingering &#8220;ghost caliphate&#8221; of ISIS fighters seeking a bloody resurgence.

Crypto Firms Buoyed By Trump Get Rocked As US Bill Delayed

Graham Unveils ‘Save The Kurds Act’ To Protect Allies Who Helped U.S. Crush ISIS

Congress

Iran

Kurds

Lindsey Graham

Politics

As a survivor of Saddam Hussein’s attempted genocide of the Kurdish people in northern Iraq, Sarkawt Shamsulddin knows what American resolve can mean for persecuted people. He and his family were spared thanks to an American-imposed “No Fly Zone”.
So when he sent us the article below warning of rising persecution in Syria — accelerated by the release of thousands of ISIS fighters from prison — we took notice. Sarkawt knows the region’s tribes, sects, and power dynamics. He also knows the local Kurds, Christians, Druze, and Yazidis now face renewed danger.
He’s not asking for American boots on the ground or nation-building. But he is asking for American leverage in Syria. — Joel Kneedler
* * *
The United States has long been the world&#8217;s most generous defender of persecuted peoples. After the Holocaust, America said &#8220;never again&#8221; and meant it. From the Balkans to Africa to the mountains of Kurdistan, when minorities faced extermination, America intervened.
I am alive today because of that commitment.
In 1991, Saddam Hussein was slaughtering Kurds. The United States led a global coalition to establish a <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/imperfect-allies-and-non-state-actors-lessons-from-the-1991-no-fly-zone-in-iraq/">No-Fly Zone</a> over the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that saved millions of lives — including mine. Today, Kurdistan is a multicultural, religiously tolerant region where no American soldier or civilian has ever been killed or harmed while the rest of Iraq became a death trap for Americans. American protection made that possible.
Now, Syria&#8217;s minorities face a similar threat. And once again, America has the power to save them — without a single additional boot on the ground.
<h3>A New Syria, Same Old Problems</h3>
President Trump has chosen to give Syria&#8217;s new leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa — a former jihadi turned politician — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-lauds-syrian-president-as-attractive-and-tough-after-vowing-to-remove-sanctions">a chance.</a> Congress aligned with the President and lifted sanctions. The administration pushed for an integration <a href="https://www.jns.org/us-welcomes-syria-sdf-deal-aimed-at-integrating-kurds/">agreement</a> between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), America&#8217;s partners who liberated Syria from ISIS.
I support giving peace a chance. But let us be clear-eyed about what is happening.
The new Syrian government has no popular legitimacy. There have been no elections. No constitution has been drafted with input from Syria&#8217;s diverse communities. The country is ruled by presidential decrees with no <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/policy_briefs/2025/03/19/syrias-new-constitution-a-shift-toward-unchecked-presidential-powers/">accountability</a>. Those who seized Damascus from Assad are rewriting Syria&#8217;s future alone — without Kurds, Christians, Druze, Yazidis, or any other minority at the table.
This is not democracy. This is conquest by another name.
<h3>Broken Promises, Rising Violence</h3>
On January 16, 2026, the United States brokered a deal asking the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to withdraw from Arab-majority cities like Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in exchange for integration and unity, and giving Kurdish-dominated areas special status. The SDF complied in good faith — they withdrew.
Damascus, however, did not honor its side of the deal.
<div id="attachment_1030973" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1030973" class="size-large wp-image-1030973" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256197679-864x576.jpg" alt="In Raqqa, Syria, on January 17, 2026, the Syrian Army secures dozens of towns and villages in the northeast countryside. This deployment comes after the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under an agreement aimed at avoiding direct military confrontation. (Photo by Mohammad Daher/NurPhoto via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256197679-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256197679-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256197679-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2256197679.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Mohammad Daher/NurPhoto via Getty Images</div>
Instead, militias aligned with Turkey — wearing Syrian government uniforms — incited tribal rebellions, advanced into vacated territories, and emptied ISIS prisons. Thousands of ISIS fighters are now free, blending into communities under Damascus control. The very enemy our American partners defeated is being unleashed again.
These militias have already committed multiple war <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/republican-senator-condemns-alleged-syrian-army-abuses-ceasefire-follows-aleppo-fighting">crimes</a>, including massacres against Kurds and other minorities. Now they are advancing on Kobani — the city that became a global symbol of resistance against ISIS — and Hasakah province, which houses hundreds of thousands of displaced minorities who fled violence elsewhere.
A leaked <a href="https://x.com/nadinemaenza/status/2013633579318689837">document</a> from Syria&#8217;s Ministry of Endowments frames this conflict as Futuhat — Islamic Conquest — justifying violence against communities as religiously sanctioned. This is not integration. This is ethnic and religious cleansing with official blessing.
<h3>America Has Done This Before</h3>
President Trump recently threatened the Iranian regime with overthrow if it continued mass executions of protesters. Iran <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-commends-iran-for-reportedly-canceling-hundreds-of-executions">stopped</a> — at least for now. American leverage, when applied, works.
The United States is currently the guarantor of Syria&#8217;s new government. Washington lifted sanctions. Washington brokered deals. Washington gave Damascus legitimacy. That means Washington has leverage — enormous leverage — to demand that minorities be protected.
Last year, Syrian forces <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/15/syria-accountability-lacking-for-sweida-abuses">attacked</a> Sweida province and were on their way to wipe out the Druze community until Israel intervened and stopped the advance. The Druze survived because a foreign power drew a red line. Syria&#8217;s Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis need America to draw that same line.
<h3>What Congress Can Do</h3>
The SDF has significant military capability to defend itself. But military power alone cannot guarantee long-term stability for minorities in Syria. What these communities need is official American recognition and protection within a unified Syrian state — not division, but local autonomy that prevents Damascus-aligned militias from committing massacres.
Congress should pass a resolution recognizing the special status of minority communities in northeastern Syria and calling on the administration to condition continued engagement with Damascus on verifiable protections for these populations.
This is not nation-building. This is not regime change. This is America saying: if you want our support, you cannot slaughter the people who fought alongside us.
No additional troops required. Just recognition. Just leverage. Just the moral clarity that has defined American foreign policy at its best.
<h3>The Cost of Inaction</h3>
The communities now facing annihilation in Syria are the same ones who bled alongside American soldiers to destroy the ISIS caliphate. They liberated territory far beyond their own homelands because America asked them to. They guarded tens of thousands of ISIS prisoners because the world had nowhere else to put them.
If America abandons them now — if we allow Damascus and its militia allies to conduct ethnic cleansing while we look away — we will not just betray our partners. We will prove to every future ally that American promises mean nothing.
And we will watch ISIS <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-to-retaliate-after-u-s-troops-killed-by-isis-in-syria">rise</a> again from the chaos, just as it did before.
President Trump wants to give Syria&#8217;s new government a chance. So do I. But that chance must come with conditions. Protection for minorities is not optional — it is the minimum price of American legitimacy.
Congress has the power to act. The President has the leverage to enforce it. The only question is whether America will once again stand for the persecuted — or stand aside while they are destroyed.
History is watching. So are Syria&#8217;s minorities.
* * *
Sarkawt Shamsulddin is a former member of the Iraqi Parliament, non-resident fellow at Atlantic Council (2022-2025), and founder and CEO of the US Iraq Advisory Group.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Syrian President Al-Sharaa Signs Ceasefire Agreement with Kurdish Forces

How America Can Protect Syria’s Minorities — Without Boots On The Ground

Why America Must Protect Syria's Minorities — Before It Is Too Late

Ahmed al-Sharaa

government

Iraq

Middle East

Christians in Syria saw the largest increase in persecution among any country in the world last year as regime change and terrorism threw the Islamic nation into chaos, according to the Christian organization Open Doors, which published its annual persecution watch list Wednesday morning.
The Open Doors <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/">2026 World Watch List</a> revealed that Syria jumped up to No. 6 in overall Christian persecution, after coming in at No. 18 in last year’s list. Syria is now only behind North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea.
Open Doors CEO Ryan Brown told The Daily Wire that the recent political turmoil in Syria is the main contributing factor to the increase in persecution.
“With the fall of the Assad regime and as HTS [Hay&#8217;at Tahrir al-Sham] came into power, it created a lot of vacuums of control and authority,” Brown said. “The rule of law is weak in a number of areas, and in that, there’s just been a number of extremists that have just stepped into those voids.”
Brown pointed to multiple recent Islamic terror attacks targeting Syrian Christians, such as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jihadist-suicide-bomber-kills-20-wounds-dozens-more-at-orthodox-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suicide bombing</a> in June, when a terrorist opened fire on worshipers and then detonated a suicide vest, killing more than 20 Christians and wounding over 50 more. Christians in Syria are more likely to come under attack from Islamic terrorists who are fighting for control of certain areas in the unstable country, not from the government, which is now led by former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.
“The church is coming under attack especially in these areas where the government is not having a strong rule of law as part of this transition,” Brown added. “Traditionally, in some of these areas in Syria where the rule of law has not been strong, the tribalism becomes the ruling force and provides safety. Christian converts from Islam are typically rejected from these tribal infrastructures.”
It remains to be seen if al-Sharaa, a former terrorist leader, will tolerate Christians in Syria if he establishes a firm grip on the country. So far, the new Syrian leader has been actively seeking to take out Islamic terrorists that remain in Syria.
President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa at the White House as he seeks to broker peace in the Middle East. The meeting marked the first time a Syrian leader and former jihadist met with the President of the United States.
Brown said the 12-spot change in Syria&#8217;s ranking between 2025 and 2026 was the largest year-over-year move for any country on the persecution watch list in more than a decade.
Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, and Iran round out the top 10 of countries where Christians experience the most persecution, meaning that eight out of the top 10 countries on the 2026 World Watch List are majority Muslim nations.
<h3>Nigeria Was The ‘Epicenter’ Of Violence Against Christians In 2025</h3>
More Christians in Nigeria, which came in at No. 7 on the list, were killed for their faith than in any other country. Open Doors reported that 3,490 Nigerian Christians were killed last year, which was an increase from the estimated 3,100 killed in 2024. For comparison, 1,359 Christians are estimated to have been killed for their faith in all other countries combined in 2025.
Brown told The Daily Wire that Nigeria didn’t rank No. 1 on the persecution list because Open Doors considers multiple factors, not just violence, when ranking countries.
“The World Watch List looks at danger, but looks at a number of other factors as well. Nigeria would be the deadliest place to be a Christian, not necessarily the most difficult because there are places in the country where Christians are able to freely worship,” Brown said. “But Nigeria continues to be an epicenter of violence in parts of the country, in parts of the middle belt as well as in the northern parts of the country.”
Recent violence against Christians in Nigeria <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-next-peace-push-focuses-on-nigeria-and-sudan-where-christians-are-killed-by-the-thousands?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%E2%80%99s+Next+Peace+Push+Focuses+On+Nigeria+And+Sudan%2C+Where+Christians+Are+Killed+By+The+Thousands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gained the attention</a> of President Trump, who has pressured the Nigerian government to do more to protect Christians and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-completely-wipe-out-the-islamic-terrorists-killing-nigerian-christians?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+%E2%80%98Completely+Wipe+Out+The+Islamic+Terrorists%E2%80%99+Killing+Nigerian+Christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> to take out terrorists in the country if they continue to target them.
<h3>Iran Increased Pressure On Christians During Internal Turmoil And Conflict With Israel And U.S.</h3>
Iran, which ranks No. 10 on the World Watch List, has ramped up its crackdown on Christians in the country as they are viewed as “enemies of the state” and “agents of the West,” Brown explained.
The Iranian regime has arrested numerous Christians in recent months as it seeks to keep control amid growing tensions. The regime believes that Christians are influenced by the West and, therefore, plotting the overthrow of the government, and recent events have likely made the regime’s crackdown on Christians even harsher. Iran was humiliated in 2025 in its war with Israel and then by the United States, when President Trump ordered the U.S. military to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran is in the midst of massive demonstrations as protesters have taken to the streets, mainly over the regime’s failure to address an economic collapse. Trump has warned that he could take more action against Iran if it massacres protesters. One report indicates that the Iranian government has killed at least 12,000 demonstrators.
<h3>China Continues To Target Christianity</h3>
China dropped from No. 15 on the list in 2025 to No. 17 this year, but the communist country remains brutal toward Christians. In September, the Chinese government began to monitor the online activity of Christians, especially clergymen, more closely.
“This was in continuation to the churches they closed down the previous year — there’s been an increase in that — but now looking to clamp down on some of the online activity of Christians in the area, making it difficult for them to communicate or to worship,” Brown said.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-escalates-persecution-of-christians-with-more-shocking-arrests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month that China arrested more prominent church leaders, detaining at least seven Christians affiliated with the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China.
Brown said that people in China also face persecution from their local communities when they convert to Christianity, adding that many converts lose out on job or school opportunities, while some get their water or electricity cut off.
See the full list, and read a detailed report on each country in this year&#8217;s list <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Suicide Bombing Targets Church In Damascus, Leaving 20 Dead And Dozens Injured

2026 Watch List Reveals Biggest Increases In Christian Persecution Across The Globe

China

Christianity

Islam

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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-launches-strikes-of-vengeance-in-syria-after-american-troops-killed-by-isis?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hegseth+Launches+Strikes+Of+%E2%80%98Vengeance%E2%80%99+In+Syria+After+American+Troops+Killed+By+ISIS">conducted</a> 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.

MixCollage-30-Dec-2025-09-52-AM-9646

U.S. Forces Kill Or Capture Nearly Two Dozen ISIS Terrorists After Americans Killed

Central Command

Military

Pete Hegseth

A heavily-redacted Epstein document dump revives questions about his associates, including former President Bill Clinton; the United States wallops ISIS targets in Syria while the Venezuelan oil blockade continues; and Turning Point USA&#8217;s AmericaFest wraps up with fireworks.
It’s Monday, December 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the video version can be seen on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251222-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Daily Wire</a>:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Epstein Files Released</h2>
The Justice Department has begun publishing thousands of pages of material tied to its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein. But the rollout has sparked immediate controversy with claims of heavy redactions and missing files. Because of the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed last month, the DOJ released an initial batch of over 13,000 files. These include investigative materials, grand jury transcripts from cases adjudicated in the early 2000s, police reports, flight logs, handwritten phone messages, and dozens of photographs. Though some of the material is new, none of it is blockbuster news. There are still hundreds of thousands of records under review that will be released on a rolling basis in the coming weeks, however.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.S. Hits ISIS</h2>
President Trump has followed through on his promise to avenge three Americans killed in Syria last week, carrying out dozens of strikes against ISIS in Syria. On Friday, the U.S. military, with some help from Jordan, hit 70+ ISIS targets across Syria. An early report from a Syria monitoring group said that at least five ISIS terrorists were killed. Most of the destruction was of ISIS infrastructure, including munitions, supplies, and hideouts. War Secretary Pete Hegseth tamped down fears that this could lead to a wider conflict. Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2002140737060692098">said</a>, “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">TPUSA’s AmFest Wraps Up</h2>
Turning Point USA’s big annual conference, AmericaFest, had more eyes than ever on it this year as organizers set out to honor its founder Charlie Kirk and give the stage to the most influential voices in the conservative movement. The event wrapped with some surprises–the major one coming on Sunday when Ericka Kirk walked rapper Nicki Minaj out on the main stage to talk about her respect for President Trump. The event was also full of fiery speeches that generated many headlines across the media. But while the media and the internet were full of controversy, the feeling on the floor of the conference felt communal and high-energy, according to Daily Wire reporters at the event.

MRN_251222_V2 (1)

Morning Brief: Epstein Files Released, U.S. Hits ISIS In Syria, And AmFest Comes To A Close

AMFEST

Department of Defense

Department of Justice

Jeffrey Epstein

Morning Wire

Turning Point USA

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the United States had conducted strikes against ISIS targets in Syria in response to an attack last weekend that left two American troops dead. 
Hegseth said that the strikes were not about starting a new war, but enacting “vengeance” for an ISIS attack targeting American forces last Saturday. 
“Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria,” Hegseth posted on X. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
“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,” he added. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”
Citing an American official, the New York Times said that the strikes targeted dozens of ISIS sites throughout central Syria. The operation is set to be a “a massive attack,” the official said. 
A later post from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) showed video of multiple strikes carried out in Syria.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tonight, U.S. and Jordanian forces struck 70+ ISIS targets in Syria with 100+ precision munitions. Peace through strength. <a href="https://t.co/XWWvfqBBFT">pic.twitter.com/XWWvfqBBFT</a>
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2002197399935103333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The attacks last week killed two troops identified as 29-year-old Nate Howard and 25-year-old Edgar Torres. An American interpreter named Ayad Mansoor Sakat was also killed in the attack. Both Howard and Torres were members of the Iowa National Guard. 
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Hegseth attended a dignified transfer of the soldier’s remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
After the attacks last weekend, Trump said that the United States would retaliate. 
“I can tell you in Syria there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it, that they got the person, the individual person, but there’ll be big damage done,” Trump said on Sunday.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Hegseth Launches Strikes Of ‘Vengeance’ In Syria After American Troops Killed By ISIS

Two American soldiers who were killed by a member of the Syrian security forces on Saturday were identified as Iowa National Guardsmen Nate Howard and Edgar Torres.
Howard&#8217;s stepfather, the chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department in Iowa, revealed on Saturday night that Howard was one of the soldiers killed when a terrorist believed to have been affiliated with ISIS ambushed U.S. and Syrian troops who were meeting together in the Syrian desert. The gunman also killed Torres and American interpreter Ayad Sakat.
&#8220;My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,&#8221; Chief Jeffrey Bunn <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeskwakiPD/posts/pfbid0R214oWppns4jJKemUmotn6tuf4cQAUe9kZ6X6tgTcZBWtEj8rrtjRbXv5jTTiyncl?rdid=dRE9E1jYYNafIxUD#">said</a>. &#8220;He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind.&#8221;
&#8220;Nate was a loving husband to his wife Arianna Howard, a great son, an amazing man of faith and is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Heaven,&#8221; Bunn added. &#8220;Nate was also a big brother to Staff Sgt James Roelsgard, also deployed through the Iowa National Guard. His little brother will be escorting Nate home. His other Soldiers and the Interpreter were heroes doing what they loved for our Country.&#8221;
Torres was <a href="https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/2-iowa-national-guard-soldiers-killed-syria-attack-loved-ones-friends-remember/524-d3ad46ad-d715-4160-943c-b3ab1efe203c?_ga=2.192374562.928628011.1765810290-1205996525.1765810290">described</a> by his fellow soldiers as a family man and a &#8220;very positive soldier.&#8221; The Iowa National Guard troops were &#8220;conducting a key leader engagement as part of their assigned mission in the ongoing counter-ISIS and counter-terrorism efforts in the region,&#8221; <a href="https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-12-13/two-iowa-guard-soldiers-killed-attack-syria-three-others-wounded">according</a> to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
“Our hearts are heavy today, and our prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of our soldiers killed in action,” Reynolds said.
The attacker clashed with security guards and then opened fire after making his way into a building where American and Syrian troops were eating lunch. The gunman, who has not been identified, was killed by return fire. Syrian officials said that the attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces, but he was about to be dismissed over his &#8220;extremist&#8221; views, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/world/middleeast/syria-isis-attack.html">reported</a>.
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Syria&#8217;s government is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who once led a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, but is now working with U.S. forces to establish control over the country and push out ISIS. The man who killed U.S. troops on Saturday joined the Syrian security forces as a security guard earlier this year, but was transferred to a different unit two months ago over suspicions that he was leaking information to ISIS, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-attack-security-forces-cc45fd7a00c06f8c1426ac589753f961">Associated Press</a>. The gunman was slated to be officially dismissed from his position in the Syrian security forces on Sunday, just one day after he opened fire on American soldiers.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-to-retaliate-after-u-s-troops-killed-by-isis-in-syria">said</a> on Saturday that the shooting &#8220;was an ISIS attack against the U.S.&#8221; and vowed to retaliate.
“We mourn the loss of three great patriots in Syria — you know how it happened, an ambush,” Trump said. “Terrible. We still have three wounded that seem to be doing pretty well. But we mourn the loss, these are great — these are three great people, and just a terrible thing.”
“Syria, by the way, was fighting along with us. The president, the new president of Syria, as they told me … is devastated by what happened. This was an ISIS attack on us and Syria,” he added. “We pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones, very, very sad … and we WILL retaliate.”
Trump met with Syria&#8217;s president in the Oval Office last month for a discussion that focused on rebuilding Syria and keeping terrorists at bay following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad. Trump&#8217;s meeting with al-Sharaa sparked controversy since the Syrian president once led a terrorist organization and had been on the U.S. terror watch list.

Nate Howard

U.S. Soldiers Killed In Syria Identified As Family Man And ‘Amazing Man Of Faith’

Family Man And 'Amazing Man Of Faith' Identified As U.S. Troops Killed In Syria

Terrorists

U.S. Military

Terrorists kill American soldiers in Syria and more than a dozen people at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia, a person of interest related to a deadly shooting at Brown University has been released, and Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from ICE custody.
It’s Monday, December 15, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251215">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/islamic-terror-sends-shockwaves-12-15-25/id1576594336?i=1000741331949" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Terror Attacks Abroad: Australia And Syria</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014665" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-Syria-To-Australia-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-Syria-To-Australia-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-Syria-To-Australia-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-Syria-To-Australia-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-Syria-To-Australia-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-Syria-To-Australia.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Fifteen people are dead and many more injured after a terror attack in Australia targeting a Hanukkah celebration. On Sunday, hundreds of people, mostly Jews, had gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney. That’s when two men, reportedly motivated by Islamic extremism, opened fire with rifles, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terror-attack-on-australian-hanukkah-celebration-leaves-11-dead-dozens-wounded">killing</a> at least fifteen, and wounding more than two dozen more in the largest attack on Jews since October 7, 2023. Witnesses said it was clear the men were not shooting at everyone, but specifically targeting beachgoers who appeared to be Jewish. As the gunmen poured shot after shot into the crowd, a heroic bystander took matters into his own hands. Stunning video from the scene <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-civilian-ambushes-terrorist-at-bondi-beach-wrestles-rifle-away">shows</a> an unarmed man creeping towards a gunman from behind a row of cars–he gets within a few feet and then leaps on the terrorist, wrestling the rifle away from him.
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On Saturday, a lone gunman ambushed a group of American service members engaged in counterterrorism operations in Syria. The gunman, whom the White House says was a member of ISIS, killed two American service members and their American translator, and wounded five others, including three more Americans. According to numerous reports, the gunman, who was killed at the scene, was a “ISIS infiltrator” who was working as part of a government security detail. President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-to-retaliate-after-u-s-troops-killed-by-isis-in-syria">vowed</a> in a Truth Social post that “there will be very serious retaliation.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Two Dead After Mass Shooting At Brown University</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014667" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Brown-Campus-Chaos-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Brown-Campus-Chaos-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Brown-Campus-Chaos-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Brown-Campus-Chaos-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Brown-Campus-Chaos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Brown-Campus-Chaos.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Two Brown University students are dead after a gunman opened fire inside a classroom on Saturday. The shooting took place at around 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. The university went into lockdown until early the next morning. From the time of the shooting, police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbis-patel-promises-all-out-24-7-campaign-to-deliver-justice-after-brown-university-shooting">searched</a> for about 12 hours before detaining a 24-year-old man who officials identified as a “person of interest,&#8221; but he was released from custody. Investigators <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/14/us-news/person-of-interest-in-brown-university-shooting-released/">said</a> they had the wrong person. In addition to the two students who were killed, nine others were wounded in the shooting. Officials have said the survivors are in stable condition.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Kilmar Abrego Garcia Is Back On The Streets</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Abrego-Garcia-Home-Free-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Abrego-Garcia-Home-Free-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Abrego-Garcia-Home-Free-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Abrego-Garcia-Home-Free-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Abrego-Garcia-Home-Free-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Abrego-Garcia-Home-Free.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from ICE custody on Friday – and he’s now vowing to “fight” the Trump administration. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2016, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-orders-kilmar-abrego-garcia-freed-from-ice-custody">ordered</a> that Abrego Garcia be freed. This time, the judge ordered that he cannot be re-detained by ICE until the court conducts a hearing on the motion for the temporary restraining order.

MRN_251215_V1

Morning Brief: Islamic Terror Sends Shockwaves

Morning Brief: Terror Attacks Abroad, Brown University Shooting, And Kilmar Abrego Garcia Is Freed

Australia

Brown University

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

President Donald Trump praised a 43-year-old man who disarmed the gunman who opened fire at a Jewish event in Australia on Sunday, saying the man “saved a lot of lives.”
Trump made the unscheduled comments during a Christmas reception at the White House, where he commented on a number of deadly attacks domestically and internationally over the weekend. At least 15 people were killed Sunday as terrorists attacked a Hanukkah celebration being held at Australia’s Bondi Beach, a popular beach in Sydney. Dozens more have been hospitalized after the attack.
“In Australia, you probably read … a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives &#8230; very brave person who&#8217;s right now in the hospital. Pretty seriously wounded. So, I have great respect to that man that did that,” Trump said.
Trump was referring to the actions of a man identified as Ahmed al-Ahmad, a father of two and fruit shop owner, who can be seen on video charging one of the terrorists, tackling him to the ground, and ripping a weapon from his hands.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The man who bravely tackled one of the shooters has been identified as 43-year-old Ahmed al-Ahmad.
<a href="https://t.co/U5B1rH5HHx">pic.twitter.com/U5B1rH5HHx</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2000225599487397966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“That was such a horrible attack. That was a purely antisemitic attack,” Trump said.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-to-retaliate-after-u-s-troops-killed-by-isis-in-syria?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Promises+To+Retaliate+After+U.S.+Troops+Killed+By+ISIS+In+Syria">discussed</a> an attack by ISIS in Syria that left two American soldiers and one interpreter dead and a mass shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island that left two dead and nine others injured.
“I just want to pay my respects to everybody,” Trump said. “We had an attack in Syria, and we had three great patriots terminated by bad people, and not the Syrian government, it was ISIS. The Syrian government fought by our side, the new president fought by our side, but I just want to pay my respects to the families.”
Trump said the United States would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-to-retaliate-after-u-s-troops-killed-by-isis-in-syria">take action</a> to retaliate after the death of the American soldiers.
“I can tell you in Syria there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it, that they got the person, the individual person, but there&#8217;ll be big damage done,” Trump said.
Trump also offered his condolences to the families of those injured in the shooting at Brown on Saturday. A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/officials-detain-person-of-interest-in-deadly-brown-university-shooting">person of interest</a> in that attack has been detained by police.
&#8220;I want to just pay my respects to the people — unfortunately, two are no longer with us — at Brown University. Nine injured, and two are looking down on us right now from heaven,&#8221; Trump said.

President Trump Hosts Congressional Ball

‘Saved A Lot of Lives’: Trump Praises Man Who Confronted Gunman During Australia Attack

President Donald Trump vowed that the United States would &#8220;retaliate&#8221; after news broke on Saturday that two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter — also American — had been killed in Syria by ISIS.
Trump responded to the news in a post first shared via his Truth Social platform, warning the perpetrators that the Syrian government shared the outrage felt by the United States.
&#8220;We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter,&#8221; Trump posted. &#8220;Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well.&#8221;
&#8220;This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221; Trump continued.
Outside the White House, Trump promised retribution as he spoke with reporters before leaving for the annual Army-Navy football game.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump, while leaving the White House, PROMISES to avenge the deaths of U.S. forces in Syria
“We mourn the loss of 3 great patriots in Syria&#8230; we pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones&#8230; and we WILL retaliate.” <a href="https://t.co/11Oh2Lyljj">pic.twitter.com/11Oh2Lyljj</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1999920500647272958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We mourn the loss of three great patriots in Syria — you know how it happened, an ambush,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Terrible. We still have three wounded that seem to be doing pretty well. But we mourn the loss, these are great — these are three great people, and just a terrible thing.&#8221;
&#8220;Syria, by the way, was fighting along with us. The president, the new president of Syria, as they told me &#8230; is devastated by what happened. This was an ISIS attack on us and Syria,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones, very, very sad &#8230; and we WILL retaliate.&#8221;
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The president&#8217;s response came after Pentagon spokesman and Army Ranger veteran Sean Parnell shared a few details about the attack — holding back the identities of those killed in order to allow for their loved ones to be notified.
&#8220;Today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded. The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement,&#8221; Parnell posted via X. &#8220;Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region.&#8221;
&#8220;The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification. This attack is currently under active investigation,&#8221; he added.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth responded as well, warning as Trump had that the United States would ensure that the guilty party had already faced lethal consequences for the attack.
&#8220;The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces,&#8221; Hegseth declared in a follow-up post. &#8220;Let it be known, 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.&#8221;

Trump Promises To Retaliate After U.S. Troops Killed By ISIS In Syria

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