An India Today article published on January 11, 2026, details a series of US airstrikes across Syria, reportedly targeting the Islamic State (ISIS) as part of an operation named 'Operation Hawkeye Strike.' According to the article, these strikes were launched in direct response to a deadly ISIS ambush on December 13, 2025, in Palmyra, Syria, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter. The report claims 'President Trump' ordered the retaliatory strikes, which commenced on December 19, 2025, and involved more than 70 to 100 precision munitions hitting ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites. The article further contextualizes these events by stating that Syria's government is now led by ex-rebels who supposedly toppled former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024, following a 13-year civil war. However, a fact-check using real-time information reveals that the core claims and factual premises of this article are not aligned with current real-world events as of January 11, 2026. Donald Trump is not the incumbent President of the United States; Joe Biden is. Bashar al-Assad has not been overthrown as Syria's president in 2024. Furthermore, there are no credible reports of an ISIS ambush killing US personnel in Palmyra on December 13, 2025, nor a subsequent 'Operation Hawkeye Strike' by the US military under a Trump administration on December 19, 2025. While US forces have conducted retaliatory strikes against militant groups in the past (e.g., February 2024 strikes against Iran-backed militias after an attack in Jordan), the specific events and political context described in the India Today article are hypothetical and do not reflect the actual geopolitical situation or US leadership. Therefore, the article, despite its publication date, reports on fictional future scenarios.