US launches airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria

Washington: The United States carried out airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State (IS) targets across central Syria, officials said, in retaliation for a deadly attack on US personnel last week.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the strikes targeted “ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” under an operation dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, adding that additional action could follow.

Hegseth said in a statement that it was not the beginning of a war but a “declaration of vengeance”, adding that they had hunted and killed their enemies, many of them, and would continue to do so.

Hegseth also detailed the operation in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Earlier today, US forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on US forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria.

This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”

“As we said directly following the savage attack, 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. Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue, he added.

The airstrikes come in response to an attack last weekend near Palmyra, in which two US Army soldiers and a US civilian interpreter were killed, and three other US soldiers were wounded.

The attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead by military personnel.

US President Donald Trump had vowed “very serious retaliation” following the incident. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the strikes fulfilled that promise: “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.”