United States forces carried out overnight airstrikes in eastern Syria's Deir Ezzor province, resulting in the deaths of at least five members of the Islamic State group, including a cell leader responsible for drone operations. The strikes were a response to a recent deadly attack on American troops in the region. According to local sources, the operation targeted Islamic State cells across the Badia desert, with most strikes concentrated in the mountainous areas north of Palmyra and toward Deir Ezzor. The bombardment was described as intense and lasted approximately five hours, with no ground operations reported. United States officials stated that more than seventy Islamic State targets were hit in what was called a serious retaliation for the December thirteenth attack that claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian.