Trump orders Syria strikes after ISIS attack kills two U.S. soldiers

President Trump ordered military strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Dec. 19, 2025. The strikes hit dozens of targets across Syria. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called them large-scale operations to eliminate ISIS fighters.

The strikes came one week after an attack killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025. Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and Sgt.

Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, were Iowa National Guard soldiers. Interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat was a U.S. civilian contractor.

Trump attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Dec. 17, 2025. He saluted as carry teams moved the transfer cases. Defense Secretary Hegseth also attended the ceremony.

U.S. and partner forces conducted 10 operations after the attack. These operations killed or detained 23 people connected to ISIS. The Pentagon said the strikes destroyed ISIS infrastructure and weapons.

The U.S. has approximately 900 troops in Syria to counter ISIS. They operate alongside Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia. Congress has never specifically authorized military operations in Syria.

Trump relied on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to justify the strikes. That law authorized force against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. ISIS didn't exist in 2001.

Syria's new government, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham after Assad's fall, controls most of the country. The U.S. strikes occurred in areas still contested by various factions. The strikes didn't require coordination with Syrian authorities.