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New Delhi: The United States on Friday (local time) launched Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeting Islamic State (ISIS) assets in Syria, days after American soldiers and a US civilian were killed in the country. The US made it clear that this was not the beginning of a war, but retaliation for the killing of its citizens.
US President Donald Trump warned the Islamic State of harsher consequences if it attacks Americans again. "All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — you will be hit harder than you have ever been hit before if you, in any way, attack or threaten the USA," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump had earlier promised strong retaliatory action after a shooting in the Syrian desert, blaming ISIS for the attack. The slain soldiers were among hundreds of US troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the terrorist group.
Syrian state television said the US strikes targeted sites in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, as well as the Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra. The strikes reportedly hit weapons storage facilities and command centres used by ISIS for its operations.
Earlier this week, Trump privately met the families of fallen US soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before attending a funeral ceremony alongside senior military officials and other dignitaries.
Confirming the operation, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the strikes were launched to "eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on US forces that occurred on December 13 in Palmyra, Syria".
Hegseth emphasised that the operation was neither the start of a war nor a declaration of vengeance. "The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent in defending our people," he said.
A US official described the operation as a large-scale attack, with 70 targets hit across central Syria where ISIS infrastructure and weapons were located.
According to reports, the operation involved F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters. F-16 fighter jets operating from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery were also used.
Trump reiterated his support for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying Damascus fully backed US efforts against ISIS. "The Government of Syria, led by a man who is working very hard to bring greatness back to Syria, is fully in support," Trump wrote, adding that the US was striking ISIS strongholds "very strongly" in a country that has suffered immense bloodshed but could have a brighter future if the group is eradicated.
Following the strikes, Syria's Foreign Ministry said last week's attack underscored the urgent need to strengthen international cooperation against terrorism. It reaffirmed Syria's commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring the group finds no safe haven on Syrian soil.
ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the attack on US troops but has claimed two recent attacks on Syrian security forces, including one in Idlib province that killed four Syrian soldiers. In its statements, ISIS has labelled al-Sharaa's government and military as apostates. Although al-Sharaa once led a group linked to al-Qaeda, he has long been an adversary of ISIS.
According to the US military, the guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar (25) of Des Moines and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard (29) of Marshalltown. A US civilian, Ayad Mansour Sakat of Macomb, Michigan, who worked as a translator, was also killed.
