U.S. Central Command Confirms Operations in Syria

The U.S. military carried out extensive strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets across Syria on Friday, U.S. officials confirmed, describing the action as retaliation for a recent attack on American personnel.

In recent months, a U.S.-led coalition has intensified airstrikes and ground operations in Syria aimed at Islamic State operatives, frequently coordinating with Syrian security forces. The latest operation followed a pledge by President Donald Trump to respond forcefully after a suspected ISIS attack killed U.S. personnel in Syria last weekend.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission, known as Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeted ISIS fighters, weapons depots, and key infrastructure. He described the strikes as a direct act of retribution rather than the start of a broader conflict.

“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said. “We hunted our enemies and eliminated many of them, and we will continue.”

President Trump stated on social media that the Syrian government fully supported the operation and said the U.S. response represented “very serious retaliation.” Speaking later at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Trump called the strikes a “massive” blow against ISIS members blamed for the December 13 attack on coalition forces.

U.S. Central Command reported that more than 70 targets were struck across central Syria, with support provided by Jordanian fighter jets. According to a U.S. official, the operation involved F-15 and A-10 aircraft, Apache helicopters, and HIMARS rocket systems.

Jordan’s air force also took part in the strikes, according to state television, which said Jordanian jets targeted Islamic State-linked sites in southern Syria as part of ongoing cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition.

Syria reaffirmed its commitment to combating Islamic State and preventing the group from establishing any safe havens within its borders, according to a statement from the country’s foreign ministry.

The retaliatory strikes followed a deadly attack last Saturday in the central Syrian city of Palmyra, where an assailant targeted a convoy of U.S. and Syrian forces. Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed, and three additional U.S. soldiers were wounded before the attacker was shot dead, according to the U.S. military.

Roughly 1,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in Syria.

The Syrian Interior Ministry identified the attacker as a member of the Syrian security forces who was suspected of sympathizing with Islamic State.

Syria’s current government, led by former rebel groups that overthrew longtime leader Bashar al-Assad last year following a 13-year civil war, includes figures from a former al-Qaeda affiliate that later split from the group and fought against Islamic State.

In recent months, Syria has deepened cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against ISIS, including an agreement reached last month during President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House.