Donald Trump declared that the United States has launched attacks against ISIS in Syria to avenge a recent ambush that resulted in the deaths of three Americans, including military personnel and civilians.
Foreign news agencies reported that U.S. President Donald Trump announced the country's military had begun striking the Islamic State (ISIS) armed group in Syria last Friday (19 Dec) to retaliate for an ambush in the Syrian city of Palmyra the previous week, which killed two American soldiers and one American interpreter.
Trump addressed the issue during a speech Friday evening in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, stating that he had "ordered heavy attacks on this terrorist group, which killed three of our great patriots last week."
"This operation was highly successful and extremely precise," the President added. "We struck every target flawlessly, and we are restoring peace through strength worldwide."
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously revealed that U.S. forces targeted "fighters, infrastructure, and ISIS weapon stockpiles," naming the mission “Hawkeye Strike.”
"This is not the start of a war — but a declaration of vengeance," Hegseth posted on social media. "Today, we hunted down and killed many of our enemies, and we will continue doing so."
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for Middle East operations, stated it deployed fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery to fire over 100 precision-guided munitions against ISIS infrastructure and weapons depots at pre-identified coordinates.
However, CENTCOM did not disclose exact locations or casualty figures, only noting that Jordanian forces also provided fighter jet support. Jordan's military confirmed on Saturday that its air force participated in the strikes in southern Syria.
Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), told AFP that at least five ISIS members were killed in attacks in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria, including a local subgroup leader responsible for drones.
A Syrian security source told AFP the U.S. strikes targeted ISIS subgroups across the vast Badia Desert, including in Homs, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa provinces, with no ground operations conducted.
Trump also posted on his Truth Social platform that the Syrian government, established after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, fully supported the U.S. military operations.
Meanwhile, Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to combating ISIS and invited the U.S. and member states of the international coalition to support these efforts.
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Source:aljazeera