The US armed forces have carried out a series of air strikes against positions of the Islamic State group in Syria. As announced by Central Command, the military operation on 19 December used fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery that fired more than 100 munitions at 70 possible targets.
The operation was a response to a militant attack on a military patrol in Palmyra on 13 December that killed three US citizens: two soldiers and a civilian interpreter, The New York Times reported. These are the first US casualties in Syria since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2024.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hagseth said the operation, called “Hawk Strike”, was limited in nature. “This is not the start of a war – this is a declaration of revenge,” he wrote on social media x.Today we hunted down and killed our enemies. Many of them. And we will continue.”
US President Donald Trump called the military operation in Syria a “very serious retaliatory strike” against the terrorists responsible for killing Americans.
He said current Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa “fully supports” the US action and is “working hard to bring back the greatness of Syria”.