U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces on Sunday conducted a series of precision airstrikes in central Syria, targeting ISIS leaders, operatives, and known camps. The operation aims to prevent ISIS from taking advantage of the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which ended after rebels seized the capital, Damascus.
The strikes were carried out using multiple U.S. Air Force assets, including B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets, and A-10 attack aircraft, according to CENTCOM.
“There should be no doubt—we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria,” said CENTCOM commander General Michael Erik Kurilla. “All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way.”
𝐔.𝐒. 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted dozens of precision airstrikes targeting known ISIS camps and… pic.twitter.com/E7CUPuPehf
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 8, 2024
While CENTCOM did not specify the exact locations of the airstrikes or the number of ISIS operatives killed, the agency confirmed that there were no indications of civilian casualties. Battle damage assessments are ongoing to determine the full impact of the operation.
The timing of the strikes coincides with the power vacuum created by the fall of the Assad regime, raising concerns about ISIS’s ability to exploit the situation. ISIS, which previously held significant territory in Syria and Iraq, has remained active in rural and desert regions despite a yearslong international military campaign to degrade its operational capabilities.
CENTCOM emphasized its continued commitment to working with regional allies and partners to combat ISIS’s resurgence.
