Washington: The United States military carried out a wide-ranging military operation against Islamic State positions in Syria on Friday, stepping up its response after a deadly attack on American forces earlier this month, according to US officials.
The strikes, described as one of the largest recent actions against the extremist group, targeted multiple ISIS-linked sites across central Syria. American defence authorities said the operation was aimed at degrading the group’s ability to plan and carry out further attacks on US and coalition forces operating in the region.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission, named Operation Hawkeye Strike, focused on militant fighters as well as weapons depots and logistical infrastructure used by the group. He emphasised that the action was a direct response to the killing of US personnel and not the start of a broader conflict.
President Donald Trump also addressed the operation, stating that the strikes were conducted with the full backing of the Syrian government. In a post on social media, he described the action as a strong and necessary response to the earlier attack on American forces.
US Central Command confirmed that more than 70 targets were hit during the operation, with support from Jordanian fighter aircraft. The strikes involved a combination of US Air Force fighter jets, attack helicopters and rocket artillery systems, officials said.
The escalation follows an incident last weekend in the ancient city of Palmyra, where two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed after an attacker struck a joint American-Syrian convoy. Three additional US troops were injured. The assailant was later killed at the scene.
Syrian authorities said the attacker was a member of the country’s security forces who was suspected of having links to or sympathies with Islamic State. In a statement, Syria’s foreign ministry reiterated its commitment to eliminating the extremist group and preventing it from regaining a foothold anywhere in the country.
Despite the collapse of ISIS’s territorial control in recent years, the group continues to operate through small cells across parts of Syria. Around 1,000 US troops remain deployed in the country as part of a US-led coalition working alongside Syrian forces to counter the threat.
Syria’s current government, formed after former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year, has pledged continued cooperation with the United States against Islamic State. That partnership was reinforced last month during a visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington, where counterterrorism efforts featured prominently in discussions.
