'Declaration of vengeance': US launches massive airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria
The strikes were carried out in retaliation to the killing of two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago
The strikes were carried out in retaliation to the killing of two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago
The strikes were carried out in retaliation to the killing of two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago
The strikes were carried out in retaliation to the killing of two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago
The U.S. launched massive airstrikes in Syria on Friday, targeting the Islamic State's terrorist group in retaliation to the killing of two U.S. troops and an American interpreter nearly a week ago.
U.S. officials claimed that around 70 targets across central Syria were hit in what they called Operation Hawkeye.
The strike was carried out using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft, and AH-64 Apache helicopters, according to the officials. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery were also used in the operation.
"This is not the beginning of a war; it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent in defending our people," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.
"As we said directly after the savage attack, if you target Americans—anywhere in the world—you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing that the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you. Today, we hunted, and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue," he added.
President Donald Trump had earlier vowed a "very serious retaliation" after the killing of the soldiers, who were among the hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the terrorist group.