Symbolic picture Image:AP
Washington: The US military has launched a massive attack on ISIS targets in Syria, just days after two National Guard soldiers and a US citizen were killed in a deadly attack on December 13. Three other American soldiers and several Syrian security forces were also injured in the attack.
This attack was carried out by a gunman associated with ISIS. The US military launched a series of retaliatory strikes against ISIS in Syria on Friday, according to US officials.
The military strike, named ‘Operation Hawkeye Strike’, targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapons bases in Syria. Just minutes before the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation, saying, “This is not the beginning of war, this is a declaration of retaliation.”
5000-7000 fighters in Syria and Iraq
US President Donald Trump promised a very serious response following the attack, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed continued support for the Syrian government and joint counter-terrorism efforts. White House officials said that they had made it clear that there would be retaliatory action. Syrian state television said the strikes targeted targets used by ISIS as launching points for operations in the region.
The Syrian government also condemned the attack and promised to cooperate with US forces. The US has about 1,000 troops in Syria as part of the coalition fighting ISIS. The group, though largely defeated, still remains a threat, with an estimated 5,000–7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
opened fire on the convoy
The attack on December 13 occurred during a joint US-Syrian patrol near Palmyra, Syria. The gunman, later identified as a radical member of the Syrian security forces, opened fire on the convoy, killing Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard (29) and Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar (25), as well as interpreter Ayad Mansour Sakat. Three other American soldiers and several Syrian security forces were injured in the attack.
Pete Hegseth said that the objective of ‘Operation Hawkeye Strike’ is to destroy ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons bases in Syria. The strikes targeted rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and ISIS infrastructure near Palmyra, including weapons storage sites and headquarters.
The US military used F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters to carry out the strikes. Earlier, Trump had also participated in the ceremony of respectfully handing over the bodies of the Americans killed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, and before that he had personally met their families.
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