The remains of two Iowa National Guard members killed in an attack in the Syrian desert were welcomed back to Des Moines on Wednesday, marking a solemn Christmas Eve for their grieving families. Several loved ones approached the caskets carrying Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar,

Howard, Torres-Tovar and Sakat were killed in the city of Palmyra in central Syria. They were deployed to the country as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a military task force the Defense Department established in 2014 to combat the rise of ISIS in the region.

U.S. troops remain deployed in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen under war authorities, conducting raids and airstrikes in conflicts most Americans have forgotten.

The United States' latest coordinated strikes against ISIS targets comes as Washington signals sustained pressure on the terror group.

The State of Qatar condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in the city of Homs, affirming its full solidarity with Syria

Sharaa, a longtime Islamist militant, and has provided weapons, intelligence and cash to militiamen at odds with his rule.