US Kills Al-Qaeda Leader Connected to Attack on US Forces in Syria
US forces executed a strike in Syria on Friday and killed an Al-Qaeda leader in response to the attack on US forces last month in Palmyra, Syria, that killed two Iowa National Guardsmen.
The target in the strike, Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, was “affiliated with Al-Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025,” US Central Command said.
“Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria,” they added.
The deceased Soldiers were identified as Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torrestovar, 25, of Grimes, Iowa. The interpreter was Iraqi national Ayad Sakat, who immigrated to the US in 2007 after working with the US Army.
This is not the first retaliatory attack the US has carried out since the December 13 ambush.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that US forces executed “Operation Hawkeye Strike” against ISIS facilities on December 19, 2025, a “direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria.”
President Trump also gave a strong warning to terrorists, writing, “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.”
Central Command released footage from the Hawkeye strike, which targeted "70+ ISIS targets in Syria with 100+ precision munitions."
WATCH:
US Central Command wrote in a press release on Saturday,
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a strike in northwest Syria on Jan. 16, that resulted in the death of a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025.
Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack. The operation, dubbed Hawkeye Strike, resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions.
Additionally, U.S. and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed over 20 across Syria during the past year, removing terrorists who posed a direct threat to the United States and regional security.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X, "We will never forget, and never relent."
We will never forget, and never relent. https://t.co/0xi3L3swDf
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 17, 2026
This is a developing story.
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