Washington, Dec. 30 (IANS) US and partner forces have killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS operatives in Syria following a large-scale strike earlier this month, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Conducted over 19 days beginning December 20, the US-led operations carried out 11 missions across Syria, resulting in at least seven ISIS members being killed, while the remaining operatives were captured. The missions also led to the elimination of four ISIS weapons caches, a media release said Tuesday.

CENTCOM said the actions followed the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike on December 19, when US and Jordanian forces struck more than 70 ISIS targets using over 100 precision munitions.

The strike was carried out by dozens of fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, and artillery systems, and targetted ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across central Syria, the command said.

“These recent missions followed the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike,” CENTCOM said, adding that the operation destroyed ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across the region.

“We will not relent,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM. “We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to US and regional security.”

CENTCOM said the follow-on missions were designed to capitalize on the impact of the December 19 strike by targetting ISIS operatives and resources in the days immediately after the large-scale attack.

The command linked the Syria operations to broader security concerns, noting that ISIS continues to pose a threat beyond the region.

In 2025, ISIS inspired at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States, CENTCOM said. In response, US and partner forces in Syria have conducted sustained operations over the past year aimed at dismantling the group’s remaining networks.

According to CENTCOM, operations conducted during the last 12 months have resulted in more than 300 terrorists being detained and over 20 killed.

“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,” Cooper said.

CENTCOM is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and oversees US military operations across the Middle East and parts of South and Central Asia, including Syria. US forces have maintained a presence in Syria as part of the international campaign against ISIS, which once controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq but now operates through dispersed cells after losing its territorial hold.

--IANS

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