Not War But Vengeance’: US Launches Massive Strikes Against ISIS In Syria

Donald Trump has vowed to retaliate after an attack on his personnel last weekend in Syria by a suspected Islamic State member.

The US military launched airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday, in retaliation for an attack on US personnel, US officials said.

President Donald Trump had vowed to retaliate after an attack on US personnel last weekend in Syria by a suspected member of the Islamic State.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strikes targeted “ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” and said the operation was “OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE.”

“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” said Hegseth. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue,” he added.

Two U.S. Officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strikes were against dozens of Islamic State targets across central Syria.

Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmyra by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. military. Three other U.S. soldiers were also wounded in the attack.

A US-led coalition has carried out air strikes and ground operations in Syria targeting Islamic State suspects in recent months, often with the involvement of Syria’s security forces.

About 1,000 US troops remain in Syria.

The Syrian Interior Ministry has described the attacker as a member of the Syrian security forces, suspected of sympathizing with the Islamic State.

Syria’s government is now led by former rebels who overthrew leader Bashar al-Assad last year after a 13-year civil war, and includes members of Syria’s former Al Qaeda branch who broke with the group and clashed with Islamic State.

Syria has been cooperating with a US-led coalition against the Islamic State, reaching an agreement last month when President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the White House.

The attack was carried out using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery were also used

This photo provided by the US Air Force shows a U.S. Airman preparing an A-10 Thunderbolt II for flight from a base in the US Central Command area of ​​responsibility, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike.

US

The Trump administration launched military strikes on Friday (December 19, 2025) in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapon sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American interpreter almost a week ago.

A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.

The attack was carried out using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery were also used, one official said.

“This is not the beginning of a war – it is a declaration of revenge. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS. The troops were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the terrorist group.

Mr. Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.” He reiterated his support for Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who he said was “fully in support” of the U.S. effort to target the militant group.

Mr. Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning the group against attacking US. personnel 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.,” the President added.

The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the overthrow of the autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Mr. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside US. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

Syria’s

Foreign Ministry in a statement on X following the launch of U.S. strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.” IS has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the U.S. service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has had a long-running enmity with IS.

Syrian state television reported that the US strikes hit targets in the rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.” Mr. Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring the US. service members killed in action.

The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a US civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

The shooting almost a week ago near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned due to suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.

The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with the Syrian guards.

When asked for further information, the Pentagon referred the AP to Mr. Hegseth’s social media post.

For more such information, connect with us today: : www.globalmediaa.com