At least five members of the Islamic State (IS) group died in US attacks in central Syria on Friday evening (19). The information was published this Saturday (20) by the NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH).
December 20
2025
– 08:27
(updated at 8:45 a.m.)
According to the OSDH, the American attacks targeted IS positions in the regions of Homs, Raqa and Deir Ezzor. The leader of a jihadist team responsible for drones in the region has reportedly been eliminated.
The Pentagon confirmed that US forces struck more than 70 targets in several Syrian locations with warplanes, attack helicopters and artillery. The offensive comes a week after an attack that killed an interpreter and two American soldiers in Palmyra, in the center of the country.
“The operation used more than 100 precision munitions against known infrastructure and weapons depots belonging to the Islamic State group,” US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement. The note recalls that, since the Palmyra attack, American and allied forces have “carried out ten operations in Syria and Iraq which resulted in the death or arrest of 23 terrorists”, without specifying which groups they belonged to.
On his social network Truth Social, US President Donald Trump described the offensive as “very severe retaliation” for the deaths of the three citizens. The United States attributed the attack to the Islamic State group, which did not claim responsibility.
Through a press release, Jordan confirmed having participated in the offensive. In a statement, the Jordanian military said the operation aimed to prevent extremist organizations from using southern Syria as a base to launch attacks threatening the security of neighboring countries and the entire region.
Delicate situation for the Syrian government
Even if the IS group is held responsible, the attack that cost the lives of American citizens was carried out by a member of the Syrian security forces, leaving the new government in a difficult situation. Since the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, Damascus has tried to move closer to the United States and participates in the international coalition against jihadism.
It was the first time such an attack had been recorded since interim President Ahmad al-Shareh came to power. Local authorities say the attacker was about to be fired for defending extremist Islamist ideas.
After dissolving the military and security structures of the old regime, Al-Shareh incorporated allied groups, including former foreign jihadists, into the new armed force. However, the new government reiterated its commitment to fighting the Islamic State group and preventing it from operating in the country again, according to a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry published in X.
Continuity of the American military presence in Syria
The Islamic State group controlled the Palmyra region before being defeated by an international coalition in 2019. Despite this setback, remaining fighters continue to carry out sporadic attacks in the Syrian desert.
US forces remain mainly in Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria and at the Al-Tanf base near the Jordanian border. The return to power of Donald Trump rekindles the debate on the continuity or strengthening of the American military presence in the country.
The Pentagon announced in April that it would cut its contingent in Syria in half, although the current total number of troops has not been officially disclosed.
With information from AFP
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