The United States has carried out a “massive strike” against Islamic State (IS) group targets in central Syria, a direct retaliation for a deadly ambush on American forces in the country last week.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched on Friday, employed fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery to strike more than 70 targets at multiple locations.
Aircraft from Jordan also participated in the operation, which used “more than 100 precision munitions” against known IS infrastructure and weapons sites.
The strike was a response to an IS attack on December 13 near Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter.
“If you target Americans—anywhere in the world—you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a forceful statement.
He described the operation as “a declaration of vengeance,” not the start of a new war.
President Donald Trump stated the U.S. was “striking very strongly” against IS strongholds. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper vowed that the U.S. “will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our partners across the region.”
The scale and precision of the strikes mark a significant escalation in the ongoing campaign against the militant group’s remnants in Syria.
By James Kisoo
