Background on Key Figures and Context
The United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has been leading a coalition conducting airstrikes and ground operations against suspected ISIS members in Syria over the past few months, often with the involvement of Syrian security forces.
The US has maintained around 1,000 troops in Syria to combat ISIS and ensure the group has no safe havens within the country. The Syrian government, led by former rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad in the previous year after a 13-year civil war, includes members of the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda that broke away from the group and turned against ISIS.
In recent months, Syria has been cooperating with the US-led coalition against ISIS. This partnership was solidified when Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the White House last month.
Retaliatory Strikes in Response to ISIS Attack
On Friday, the US military launched large-scale attacks against numerous ISIS targets in Syria as a response to an attack that killed US personnel the previous weekend. The operation, named “OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE,” targeted ISIS combatants, infrastructure, and weapons sites.
“This is not the beginning of a war—it’s a declaration of vengeance,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “Today, we have hunted and killed our enemies. Many of them. And we will continue.”
Support and Reactions from Key Figures
President Trump endorsed the “massive” strike against ISIS on social media, stating that the Syrian government fully supported the attacks and that the US was inflicting “very serious” retaliation.
In a speech in North Carolina on Friday night, Trump described it as a “massive” blow against ISIS members that the US holds responsible for the December 13 attack against coalition forces.
“We struck ISIS thugs in Syria… It was very successful,” Trump said at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Details of the Airstrikes
The US Central Command reported that the attacks hit over 70 targets across central Syria. The operation involved US F-15 and A-10 fighter jets, along with Apache helicopters and HIMARS rocket systems. Jordanian air force also participated, targeting ISIS-affiliated sites in southern Syria as part of Jordan’s cooperation with the US-led coalition.
Syria reaffirmed its commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring the group has “no safe haven” within its territory, according to a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Tragic Loss of US Personnel in Syria
On Saturday, two US Army soldiers and a civilian contractor interpreter died in Palmyra, central Syria, when a man attacked a US-Syrian convoy before being gunned down. Three additional US soldiers were injured in the attack.
Approximately 1,000 US troops remain in Syria to continue the fight against ISIS.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who conducted the airstrikes? The US military, with support from Jordanian air force, carried out the airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria.
- What was the purpose of these attacks? The strikes were a retaliatory response to an ISIS attack that killed US personnel in Syria.
- What specific targets were hit? Over 70 ISIS-related targets, including combatants, infrastructure, and weapons sites, were struck across central Syria.
- How has the Syrian government reacted? The Syrian government has reaffirmed its commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring the group has no safe havens within Syria.
- What recent tragic event occurred in Syria? Two US soldiers and a civilian contractor interpreter were killed in Palmyra, central Syria, when a man attacked a US-Syrian convoy.
