The United States has carried out large-scale retaliatory airstrikes against Islamic State targets across central Syria, U.S. officials said, following a deadly attack on American personnel earlier this month.

The operation, named Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeted more than 70 ISIS-linked sites, including fighters, infrastructure and weapons facilities, according to U.S. Central Command. The strikes were launched on Friday using U.S. F-15 and A-10 aircraft, Apache helicopters and HIMARS rocket systems, with support from Jordanian fighter jets.

syria strike

A U.S. Airman attaches a GBU-31 munitions system to an F-15E Strike Eagle in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, December 19, 2025, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel, U.S. officials said. U.S. Air Force Photo/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY

Retaliation for Deadly Attack

The strikes followed a suspected Islamic State attack on December 13 in the central Syrian town of Palmyra, where two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed after a convoy of American and Syrian forces was targeted. Three other U.S. soldiers were wounded. The attacker was shot dead at the scene.

Syria’s Interior Ministry described the assailant as a member of the Syrian security forces suspected of sympathizing with Islamic State.

President Donald Trump had vowed swift retaliation, saying the U.S. would respond forcefully to the killing of American personnel.

‘Declaration of Vengeance’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were aimed squarely at degrading ISIS’s ability to operate in Syria.

“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”

Trump echoed that message, saying on social media that the Syrian government fully supported the operation and that the United States was delivering “very serious retaliation.” Speaking at a rally in North Carolina, he described the operation as a “massive” and “very successful” blow against ISIS.

Syrian Cooperation and Ongoing Mission

Syria’s foreign ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fighting Islamic State and ensuring the group has “no safe havens on Syrian territory.” The strikes come amid ongoing cooperation between Damascus and a U.S.-led coalition targeting ISIS suspects through air and ground operations.

Syria is currently governed by former rebels who toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad last year after a 13-year civil war. The government includes figures from Syria’s former Al Qaeda branch who later broke with the group and clashed with Islamic State.

Around 1,000 U.S. troops remain deployed in Syria as part of efforts to prevent an ISIS resurgence. The latest operation underscores Washington’s continued military engagement against the militant group, nearly four years after its territorial defeat.