US Military Launches Massive Strike Against ISIS In Syria After Deadly Ambush

Washington: The US military has launched a large-scale strike against ISIS targets in Syria, just days after a deadly ambush killed 2 National Guard soldiers and a US civilian interpreter on December 13. The attack, which also injured three other US troops and several Syrian security forces, was carried out by a gunman affiliated with ISIS. According to the US officials, the US military has launched a series of retaliatory strikes against ISIS in Syria on Friday. 

The military strike, named ‘Operation Hawkeye Strike’, targeted the ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria. Just minutes before the strike, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation, stating, “This is not the beginning of a war, it is a declaration of vengeance.”

US President Donald Trump vowed "very serious retaliation" after the ambush, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed continued support for the Syrian government and joint counterterrorism efforts. White House officials noted that he had made clear retaliation was coming. Syrian state television reported that the strikes hit targets used by ISIS as launching points for operations in the region. 

The Syrian government had also condemned the attack and pledged to cooperate with US forces. The US has around 1000 troops in Syria, part of a coalition fighting ISIS. The group, though largely defeated, still poses a threat, with estimates suggesting 5000-7000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.

On December 13, the ambush occurred near Syria's Palmyra, during a joint US-Syrian patrol. The gunman, later identified as a radicalised member of Syria's security forces, opened fire on the convoy, killing Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard (29) and Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar (25), along with interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat. Three other US troops and several Syrian security forces were wounded in the attack.

Pete Hegseth stated that the start of ‘Operation Hawkeye Strike’ is to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in Syria. The strikes targeted ISIS infrastructure, including weapons storage sites and headquarters, in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and near Palmyra.

The US military used F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft, and AH-64 Apache helicopters to conduct the strikes. More attacks are expected, with the Pentagon referring to Hegseth's social media post for further information.

Earlier, Trump also attended the dignified transfer of the remains of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, meeting privately with their families beforehand.

Further details regarding the ongoing US military strike in Syria are awaited.