The U.S. launched major airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday, following through on President Donald Trump's pledge to avenge the deaths of two U.S. Army soldiers killed in a terrorist attack last weekend, The New York Times reported.
According to U.S. officials, American fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery struck dozens of ISIS-linked sites across central Syria, including weapons depots and operational facilities.
The strikes were expected to continue for several hours into early Saturday and were described by one official as a "massive attack," the Times reported.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation on X, describing it as a “declaration of vengeance.”
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” he wrote. “As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”
Explosions were reported across large areas of the country, according to social media accounts inside Syria.
The military action followed the killing of the two soldiers and an American civilian interpreter on Saturday near Palmyra, where American forces were supporting counterterrorism operations.
The ambush by what U.S. Central Command called a "lone ISIS gunman" marked the first U.S. troop deaths in Syria since the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad last year.
Three additional U.S. service members and two Syrian security personnel were wounded in the shooting.
No group has formally claimed responsibility, but U.S. intelligence officials said early assessments point to ISIS.
The gunman was identified as a member of Syrian security forces who was set to be dismissed over extremist views.
The Pentagon has named the retaliatory operation Operation Hawkeye Strike, honoring the home state of the two fallen soldiers, who were members of the Iowa National Guard.
The strikes mark a sharp escalation in Syria, where the U.S. has reduced its troop presence to about 1,000 personnel since Assad's collapse.
The drawdown reflected hopes of improved security, but the latest attack underscored the threat posed by ISIS.
U.S. intelligence officials have warned Congress that ISIS is seeking to exploit Syria's instability to free thousands of detained fighters and rebuild its operational capacity.
While the terror group no longer controls significant territory, it continues to operate through sleeper cells, regional affiliates, and online networks. ISIS-linked attacks last year struck targets in Iran, Russia, and Pakistan.
American military officials said Friday's strikes build on nearly 80 counterterrorism missions conducted since July.
Over the past six months, U.S. and partner forces have detained more than 100 ISIS operatives and killed at least 14 others, according to U.S. Central Command.
In recent weeks, joint U.S.-Syrian operations also destroyed multiple ISIS weapons caches, including mortars, rockets, rifles, explosives, and material used to build improvised bombs.
Officials said intelligence gathered after last weekend's attack helped identify and refine the targets struck Friday as the U.S. moves to prevent further attacks on American forces and interests in the region.
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