WASHINGTON — The United States launched large-scale military strikes in Syria on Friday targeting fighters and weapons facilities of the Islamic State group in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter nearly a week earlier, according to U.S. officials.
A senior U.S. official described the operation as a large-scale strike that hit more than 70 targets across central Syria where Islamic State infrastructure and weapons were believed to be located. Another official said additional strikes are expected as part of the ongoing campaign.
“This is not the beginning of a war, it is a declaration of vengeance,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post, adding that the United States under President Donald Trump’s leadership would not hesitate to defend its people.
President Trump earlier vowed “very serious retaliation” following the deadly shooting in the Syrian desert, which U.S. officials blamed on Islamic State militants. The victims were among hundreds of American troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the extremist group.
Speaking at an event in North Carolina on Friday evening, Trump described the operation as a “massive strike” that eliminated “ISIS fighters in Syria who were trying to regroup.” He also reiterated his support for Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying the Syrian leader was fully supportive of the U.S. operation.
Trump issued a warning to Islamic State militants against further attacks on Americans, threatening stronger retaliation if U.S. personnel are targeted again.
U.S. officials said the strikes were carried out using F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets from Jordan, and HIMARS rocket artillery. U.S. Central Command said American forces used more than 100 precision-guided munitions during the operation.
The strikes come as the Trump administration has shifted some military focus closer to the Western Hemisphere, including increased operations in the Caribbean and actions targeting sanctioned oil shipments linked to Venezuela. Despite this shift, U.S. officials said counterterrorism operations in the Middle East remain a priority.
The operation also tested improving relations between Washington and Damascus following the ouster of former Syrian leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump said Syrian authorities were angered by the attack on U.S. forces and are expanding cooperation with American troops against Islamic State.
Syria’s foreign ministry said the ambush underscored the need for stronger international cooperation against terrorism and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to preventing Islamic State from establishing safe havens on Syrian territory.
Syrian state television reported that the U.S. strikes hit weapons storage facilities and command centers in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, as well as near the historic city of Palmyra.
Islamic State has not claimed responsibility for the ambush that killed the Americans, but it has claimed two subsequent attacks against Syrian security forces, including one that killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group has repeatedly denounced the current Syrian leadership.
The Americans killed were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29. The civilian interpreter who died was Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Michigan. Three other U.S. troops and several members of Syrian security forces were wounded in the shooting, while the attacker was killed.
Syrian officials said the assailant had joined the country’s internal security forces as a base guard two months earlier and was under investigation over suspected ties to Islamic State. He opened fire during a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials after clashing with Syrian guards.
Jordan later confirmed that its air force joined the U.S.-led strikes, conducting precision airstrikes against Islamic State positions in southern Syria. Jordan said the operation aimed to prevent extremist groups from using the area as a staging ground to threaten regional security.
U.S. Central Command said that since the Dec. 13 attack, U.S. and partner forces have conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 suspected terrorist operatives, as part of broader counterterrorism efforts in the region.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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