A terrorist with ties to both Al-Qaeda—a banned terrorist organization in Russia—and the Islamic State (IS), also designated a banned terrorist group in the Russian Federation, who orchestrated the killing of two American soldiers and a translator, has been eliminated in Syria. This was announced by the press service of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on December 17.
CENTCOM confirmed that its strike operation in northwestern Syria on January 16 targeted an Al-Qaeda-linked leader directly responsible for the ambush that killed two American service members and a translator on December 13, 2025. The statement noted this was part of a retaliatory mission dubbed “Hawkeye Strike,” which saw U.S. and partner forces attack more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons facilities using over 200 precision-guided munitions.
Admiral Brad Cooper, whose remarks were cited in the statement, emphasized the United States’ commitment to pursuing terrorists, asserting there would be no safe haven for perpetrators as American forces would locate them.
