Islamic State

Jan. 18 (UPI) — The Syrian government and the Kurdish militia have reached a ceasefire agreement.

The news came as the government seized the Euphrates Dam and a military base. They previously asserted control of Aleppo.

The deal will see the government gain control of Raqqa and Deir al Zour, while the Syrian Democratic Forces will continue to helm Hasakah, though the provincial governor will be selected by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the New York Times reported.

“The challenging work of finalizing the details of a comprehensive integration agreement begins now, and the United States stands firmly behind this process at every stage,” said Thomas J. Barrack Jr., the U.S. special envoy to Syria, per the outlet.

The deal will also see militia members individually integrated into Syrian’s ministries of defense and interior.

The SDF will also cede responsibility for Islamic State prisoners and their families.

Dec. 19 (UPI) — The U.S. military struck several ISIS-connected targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for the shooting deaths of two U.S. soldiers and their interpreter last week.

The suspected Islamic State targets include weapons storage facilities and infrastructure, CNN, CBS News and The New York Times reported.

The military used artillery, attack helicopters and fighter jets to hit targets in central Syria during Operation Hawkeye, which is named after the two slain soldiers’ home state of Iowa.

The strikes were expected to take place into early Saturday morning as part of a retaliation campaign against ISIS in Syria, The Times reported.

A lone ISIS sniper killed Iowa National Guardsmen Sgt. William Howard, 29, and Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar, 25, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54. Three other Iowa National Guardsmen also were wounded.

The ISIS sniper ambushed the soldiers while they were “supporting a key leader” in Palmyra, Syria, CBS News reported.

The sniper had been a member of the Syrian security forces, but he was scheduled to be dismissed from his duties due to extremist views, U.S. and Syrian officials said.

ISIS remains a factor in Syria, where it has lost much of its prior territorial control after the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024, by opposition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

The collapse of the Assad regime largely ended a 14-year civil war in Syria, and he has been replaced by current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Sharaa met with Trump at the White House last month and on Friday welcomed the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Syrian government that were placed during the Assad regime.

Lifting the sanctions makes it possible for investments to be made in Syria, which has struggled to recover from its civil war.