Rapid Fire
US Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria
- 23 Dec 2025
- 2 min read
The US launched Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria, targeting Islamic State (IS) infrastructure and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on US forces in Palmyra, signalling a strong counter-terror response.
- IS, also known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), is a Sunni extremist terrorist organisation that self-declared itself a pan-Islamic Caliphate, emerging from al-Qaeda in Iraq, with its historic base of operations in northern Iraq and Syria.
- It has committed widespread crimes against humanity, including genocide, mass executions, sexual slavery, and terrorism.
- In India, the Islamic State (IS) and all its manifestations are banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).
- Syria: It lies in West Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the west, with a coastline along the Mediterranean Sea.
- Its geography includes the Syrian Desert, the Euphrates River valley, and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains along the Lebanon border, with Mount Hermon as its highest point.
- Key conflict-affected areas include Aleppo, Homs, Idlib, and the Golan Heights, which remains disputed with Israel.
| Read more: Terror Groups in the Middle East |
