WASHINGTON — The U.S. military launched large-scale air and ground strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets across central Syria on Friday, a retaliation U.S. officials said was tied to a deadly Dec. 13 attack on American personnel in the country.
The operation, which U.S. Central Command said hit more than 70 targets, was supported by Jordanian fighter jets and drew on a mix of U.S. F-15 and A-10 aircraft, Apache helicopters and HIMARS rocket systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were aimed at “ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites,” and identified the campaign as “OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE.”
- Advertisement -
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”
President Donald Trump had vowed swift retaliation after the suspected ISIS attack that killed two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the central Syrian city of Palmyra. Three other U.S. soldiers were wounded when an assailant opened fire on a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the U.S. military.
- Targets: More than 70 Islamic State sites across central Syria, U.S. Central Command said.
- Assets: U.S. F-15 and A-10 jets, Apache helicopters, and HIMARS; Jordanian fighter jets joined the strikes.
- Trigger: A Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter and wounded three others.
- Posture: About 1,000 U.S. troops remain in Syria as part of ongoing counter-ISIS efforts.
Trump, in a social media post, called the action “very serious retaliation” and later told supporters at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, that the operation delivered a “massive” blow to ISIS militants. “We hit the ISIS thugs in Syria. … It was very successful,” he said.
The strikes mark one of the most expansive U.S.-led attacks in Syria in recent months, as coalition forces have stepped up airstrikes and partnered ground operations against Islamic State suspects, often with participation from Syrian security forces. A U.S. official said Friday’s operation focused on disrupting ISIS operational nodes and degrading weapons stockpiles used to stage attacks.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry reiterated the government’s “steadfast commitment” to eliminating Islamic State and preventing the group from establishing safe havens inside the country. Syrian officials have been cooperating with the U.S.-led coalition under an agreement reached last month, after President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the White House.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said the Palmyra gunman was a member of the Syrian security forces suspected of sympathizing with ISIS — an allegation that underscores the challenge of screening for insider threats even as Damascus intensifies its campaign against the extremist group.
Syria’s government, led by former rebels who toppled Bashar al-Assad last year after a 13-year civil war, includes figures who split from Syria’s former al-Qaida affiliate and clashed with ISIS. U.S. officials say those dynamics have created both new channels for counterterrorism coordination and new vulnerabilities to infiltration.
Friday’s strikes were the latest reminder that, despite years of territorial losses, ISIS retains the ability to mount lethal attacks and inspire supporters inside security forces. While the Pentagon did not immediately provide battle damage assessments, Hegseth’s vow that “we will continue” suggested additional pressure campaigns could follow.
Central Command did not announce U.S. casualties from the operation. The White House and Pentagon officials said the mission’s objective remained limited to degrading ISIS capacity and deterring further attacks on American and partner forces.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
