The United States has conducted a series of airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria, hitting over 70 locations across the country. The operation, dubbed “Operation Hawk Strike”, was launched on Friday at around 4 pm local time, with Jordanian warplanes also participating.
The strikes targeted ISIS infrastructure, arms depots, and positions in central Syria, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM said the operation involved aircraft, attack helicopters, and artillery, firing over 100 precision-guided munitions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least five ISIS members were killed in the strikes in Deir ez-Zor province, including a senior member responsible for local drone operations.
US President Donald Trump warned of “righteous retaliation” against those responsible for killing US citizens, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that this was a “planned retaliatory action”, not a declaration of a new war.
The strikes come after two US soldiers and a contractor were killed in an ISIS attack in Palmyra on December 13. Syria’s new President, Ahmed al-Shara, has been working closely with the US to combat ISIS, and the country is actively participating in the international coalition against the group.
Source: BBC, AFP.