The United States has carried out a large-scale military operation in Syria, launching coordinated airstrikes aimed at Islamic State (IS) fighters and weapons facilities, following a deadly ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.
According to U.S. officials, the strikes were conducted on Friday and targeted more than 70 IS-linked sites across central Syria, including weapons storage facilities and operational hubs. The operation comes nearly a week after the attack in the Syrian desert that Washington has blamed on the extremist group. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation, indicated that further strikes are likely.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the action as a forceful response rather than the start of a broader conflict. In a statement shared on social media, he said the United States would not hesitate to defend its citizens and personnel abroad, stressing that the strikes were intended to deliver retribution and deterrence.
President Donald Trump also weighed in, pledging “very serious retaliation” for the attack. Speaking at a public event in North Carolina, he praised the military operation, calling it a “massive strike” against what he described as attempts by IS fighters to regroup in Syria. In a separate statement, Trump issued a stern warning to extremist groups against targeting American interests again.
Military officials said the operation involved a range of U.S. assets, including F-15 Eagle and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopters, and HIMARS rocket artillery. U.S. Central Command confirmed that more than 100 precision-guided munitions were used during the strikes.
The attack has tested improving relations between Washington and Damascus following the ouster of former Syrian leader Bashar Assad last year. President Trump said Syria’s current leadership was supportive of the U.S. action, noting growing cooperation between American forces and Syrian security agencies.
Syria’s foreign ministry responded by emphasizing the need for stronger international collaboration against terrorism. In a statement, it reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to preventing IS from establishing safe havens within its territory. Syrian state media reported that the strikes hit rural areas in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, as well as locations near Palmyra, targeting IS command centers and weapons depots.
The Islamic State group has not officially claimed responsibility for the ambush on U.S. forces, though it has since claimed separate attacks on Syrian security personnel. Syrian officials said the gunman involved in the attack near Palmyra was killed during the incident and had recently been reassigned amid suspicions of extremist links.
The Americans killed in the attack were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines; Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown; and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a civilian interpreter from Michigan. President Trump met privately with their families earlier this week during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.
The latest strikes underscore Washington’s continued military engagement against extremist groups in the Middle East, even as the administration signals a broader strategic focus on the Western Hemisphere.
