US Launches Airstrikes on Dozens of Islamic State Targets in Syria

The United States on Friday launched airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State (IS) targets across central Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on US personnel, US officials said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes targeted “ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites” as part of an operation dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, adding that further action could follow.

“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said in a statement and on social media. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”

Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said dozens of IS targets were struck across central Syria. One official told The Associated Press that the operation involved F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, warning that additional strikes were expected. The Pentagon declined to provide further operational details, referring questions to Hegseth’s statement.

The airstrikes followed an attack last weekend in the Syrian desert near Palmyra in which two US Army soldiers and a US civilian interpreter were killed, and three other US soldiers wounded. The attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the US military.

The US Army identified the killed service members as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, both members of the Iowa National Guard. The civilian interpreter was identified as Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Macomb, Michigan.

Syria’s Interior Ministry said the attacker was a member of the country’s security forces suspected of sympathising with Islamic State.

President Donald Trump had vowed “very serious retaliation” following the attack, while stressing that Syrian forces were operating alongside US troops. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said on Friday that the president was fulfilling that pledge.

“President Trump told the world that the United States would retaliate for the killing of our heroes by ISIS in Syria, and he is delivering on that promise,” she said.