Iowa
US kills ‘terrorist’ linked to attack on Iowa troops in Syria
2026 Condition of the State honors killed Iowa National Guard members
Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria were honored with a standing ovation during Gov. Kim Reynolds’ 2026 Condition of the State address.
U.S. military forces on Jan. 16, killed an al Qaeda affiliate leader linked to an Islamic State attack on Iowa National Guard soldiers in Syria last month, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Jan. 17.
Bilal Hasan al-Jasim had “direct ties” to an ISIS gunman who killed and injured U.S. and Syrian personnel on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said.
Iowa National Guard Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard of Marshalltown and Staff Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar of Des Moines were killed in the attack. They were serving as part of ongoing federal counter-ISIS and counterterrorism missions.
Three other Iowa National Guard soldiers were wounded in the Dec. 13 ambush by a suspected “lone ISIS gunman.” Two were medically evacuated and treated for serious injuries, while a third sustained minor injuries and was treated locally. All three survived.
“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, in a statement.
Since the Dec. 13 attack, U.S. forces have been conducting strikes in Syria, with the U.S. military saying it has hit more than 100 ISIS targets.
“We will never forget, and never relent,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an X post that included Centcom’s statement.
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents the central Iowa communities where the two soldiers lived, called the attack “cowardly.”
“I’m grateful to the warfighters who carried their mission forward and delivered justice,” he wrote in a social media post. “America will never stop hunting those who harm our servicemembers.”
Des Moines Register reporter Nick El Hajj contributed to this report.
When it comes to the Iowa Hawkeyes 2026 football season, it doesn’t get much bigger than Ohio State coming to Kinnick Stadium.
No one knows at this stage where the Buckeyes will be come Oct. 3, but Iowa has a chance to make an early impression against a team that is no stranger to winning the big one.
Iowa’s B1G schedule couldn’t get off to a worse start as they head to Michigan and then welcome the Buckeyes to Kinnick.
Hopefully for Iowa’s sake, their first three games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa are enough to get them prepared. If not, things could get ugly.
ESPN Believes Ohio State is Iowa’s Biggest Opponent in 2026
The Michigan game will certainly be a test, but hosting the Buckeyes is a different animal. That gives the Hawkeyes an advantage like no other, and if there was ever a time to give OSU a run for their money, it’s in Iowa City on Oct. 3.
“The Hawkeyes haven’t faced Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium since 2017, when Nate Stanley threw five touchdowns as they stunned the Buckeyes 55-24. An early October win over Ohio State could propel Iowa into the Big Ten title and playoff conversations,” Jake Trotter wrote.
To put things into perspective, Indiana and Oregon were the other two teams that had the Buckeyes listed as their defining game in the 2026 season. Shockingly, Iowa was actually selected against a team, that being Minnesota. Seeing as that’s for the Floyd of Rosedale, it makes complete sense.
Iowa Can’t Let Regular Season Opportunities Go To Waste
Last year was seemingly the Hawkeyes’ first time to actually make the College Football Playoffs. They came up short as their losses to No. 16 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 USC all added up. Sure, those were by a combined 15 points, but that doesn’t matter, as it’s bad enough that a three-loss team made the playoffs.
Iowa ended with a bang as they took down No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27. Now, all eyes are on either Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown. One of those men will have a chance to make their first B1G start at the Big House in Michigan.
It doesn’t get any tougher than that, as Iowa is immediately putting their new QB into deep water. They’ll have three games prior to that to get up to speed, but other than that, it’s go time as OSU awaits after their trip to Michigan.
Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!
MANCHESTER, Iowa — The state of Iowa lost a titan of the prep coaching world this week. Former Kee High School baseball coach Gene Schultz died on Monday at the age of 80.
Schultz spent 45 seasons as the baseball coach at Kee, helping turn the program into an Iowa dynasty. He won 9 State championships (not counting 2 fall titles, which the IHSAA doesn’t recognize in the record books), and took the Hawks to 19 State tournaments, which is also the most in Iowa history.
His 1,754 wins are not only the most in Iowa history, but the most of any high school baseball coach in the country.
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