ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US military said on Tuesday it killed at least seven Islamic State (ISIS) suspects and captured others in Syria during a series of operations carried out with its “partners” over nine days, following a deadly attack on US troops that Washington has blamed on the militant group.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it and “partners across Syria killed at least seven ISIS members and captured the remainder during 11 missions conducted Dec. 20–29.” The operations also resulted in the destruction of four ISIS weapons caches.
CENTCOM, which oversees US troops in the Middle East, did not mention the names of parties involved in the operations. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had been the only on-the-ground ally of the US-led global coalition against ISIS in Syria until Damascus joined the coalition last month.
On December 19, the US military, with support from Jordan, carried out a large-scale aerial campaign against ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for an earlier attack that killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Washington has blamed ISIS for the attack, though the group has not claimed responsibility.
The December 13 attack took place in Syria’s central Homs province as US forces were conducting what the Pentagon described as a “key leader engagement” in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counterterrorism operations. In addition to the fatalities, three US soldiers and two Syrian security personnel were wounded, according to the Pentagon and Syrian state media.
CENTCOM cited its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, as saying that they “will not relent,” adding that they are "steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”
ISIS seized vast areas of Syria and Iraq in 2014 but was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, two years after its defeat in Iraq. Despite its losses, the group has continued to carry out insurgent attacks and has sought to reestablish its presence.
“In 2025, ISIS inspired at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States. In response, U.S. and partner forces in Syria have conducted operations during the last 12 months that resulted in more than 300 terrorists being detained and over 20 killed,” CEMTCOM said on Tuesday.