The US on Friday launched massive airstrikes in Syria, targeting the Islamic State's terror group, in retaliation to the killing of two US troops and an American interpreter almost a week ago.
The US officials claimed that around 70 targets across central Syria were targeted in what they called Operation Hawkeye.
The strike was conducted 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 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 to defend our people," Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.
"As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans -- anywhere in the world -- you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing 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.
Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) December 19, 2025
This is not the beginning of a war — it is a…
President Donald Trump had earlier vowed a "very serious retaliation" after the killing of the soldiers who were among hundreds of US troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the terrorist group.
"We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria, a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated," he had said.
Trump, however, reiterated his support for Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who he said was fully in support of the US effort to target the militant group.
"YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A," he added in an all-caps threat.
The two US troops—Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa—were killed while engaging hostile forces in Palmyra, Syria. Both soldiers were assigned to the Iowa National Guard's 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.
