Washington, DC: The United States military has carried out large-scale strikes against ISIL strongholds in Syria, in what officials are calling a “declaration of vengeance” following the killing of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra last week.
President Donald Trump announced the operation on Friday, writing on his Truth Social platform that the US was “striking very seriously against ISIS strongholds in Syria” in retaliation for what he described as the “vicious killing of brave American Patriots.”
“I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,” Trump said.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the campaign, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeted ISIL fighters, weapons depots, and infrastructure across central Syria.
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth wrote on social media. “Today, we hunted, and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”
Two US officials, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said dozens of ISIL targets were struck in coordinated attacks. The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) is expected to release further details on casualties and damage assessments.
Also, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement backing the US-led operation, pledging to intensify its own efforts against ISIL. Syria’s interim government, formed after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, has been working closely with Washington in recent months.
Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reported that the Syrian government appeared to have “signed off” on the strikes, though it remains unclear whether Syrian defense forces directly participated.
“The US considers eliminating ISIL a key step in helping Syria move beyond the Assad regime’s years of dictatorship,” Jordan noted.
It can be recalled that the retaliatory strikes follow a deadly ambush in Palmyra, where an attacker targeted a convoy of US and Syrian forces, killing three Americans — two National Guard members and an interpreter — and wounding three others.
Around 1,000 US troops remain stationed in Syria as part of a long-running mission to dismantle ISIL’s remnants. Recent months have seen intensified coalition operations, often in coordination with Syrian security forces.
Last month, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Trump at the White House, where both sides agreed to deepen cooperation against ISIL.