(VOVWORLD) - The US military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for an attack on US personnel, US officials said.
 US Airmen prepare to load GBU-31 munition systems onto F-15E Strike Eagles, December 19, 2025, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria. (Photo: US Air Force/REUTERS) |
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes targeted "ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites" and that the operation was "OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE."
President Donald Trump said on social media that the Syrian government fully supported the strikes and that the US was inflicting "very serious retaliation." One US official said the strikes hit more than 70 targets across central Syria.
Syria reiterated its steadfast commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has "no safe havens on Syrian territory," according to a statement by the foreign ministry.
Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed last week in central Syria by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead.
A US-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes and ground operations in Syria targeting Islamic State suspects in recent months, often with the involvement of Syria's security forces.