The US military conducted major attacks against dozens of ISIS targets inside war-torn Syria on Friday in response to an attack on American personnel, according to US officials. A US-led coalition has been conducting air strikes and ground operations in Syria against Islamic State suspects over the past few months, with the cooperation of the Syrian security forces.
US President Donald Trump threatens to attack after an ISIS attack kills US personnel last weekend in Syria. Defence Secretary Calls Operation “Declaration of Vengeance” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that “ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” had been targeted and that the “Operation Hawkeye Strike” was conducted.
In his speech in North Carolina Friday night, Trump said this is “a massive blow” struck against ISIS fighters whom the US holds responsible for the Dec. 13 attack against coalition forces. “We hit ISIS thugs in Syria. … It was very successful,” Trump told a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Strikes Target Over 70 Areas in Central Syria
The US Central Command reported, “More than 70 targets in central Syria have been struck in this operation, which included strikes from Jordanian fighter jets.” One of the US officials said that the attack on Muammar Gaddafi’s forces had been conducted by US warplanes, namely US F-15 and A-10 aircraft, as well as Apache helicopters, and HIM
Syria reaffirmed its “unwavering determination to combat Islamic State and ensure that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory,” according to the statement by the country’s foreign ministry.
Two US Army soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmyra by a gunman who ambushed a convoy of US and Syrian soldiers, shooting and killing the gunman, the US military said. In addition, three US soldiers were wounded in the attack.
There are Still 1,000 US Soldiers in Syria
According to the Syrian Interior Ministry, the gunman was identified as a member of the Syrian security forces with alleged ties to the Islamic State group. In Syria, the government is made up of former rebels, who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad last year, ending the 13-year civil war inside the country, as well as other former fighters from Syria’s ex-Al Qaeda affiliation, who quit the group and fought against the Islamic State.
Syria has been cooperating with the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition and has even reached a deal with the US when President Ahmed Al-Sharaa visited the White House last month.
The strike is the biggest escalation of US military action in Syria after the weekend attack. The president had threatened to strike back quickly after the news of the deaths was received because the US would never allow attacks on its forces.
The operation required coordination between the US and Jordanian militaries, indicating regional support in the fight against ISIS factions in Syria. Jordan has proved to be a major ally to the US in its battle against extremist groups in the region.
The involvement of F-15 and A-10 warplanes, Apache helicopters, and HIMARS rocket launchers shows the magnitude and ferocity of the attack. HIMARS can be defined as precision-guided rocket launchers that can target their destinations from a long distance.
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