The Pentagon said Friday it carried out strikes on Islamic State‑linked targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed two American soldiers and a U.S. civilian earlier this month.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces began “Operation Hawkeye Strike” to hit ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites following the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth wrote on X.
The New York Times reported the strikes were expected to continue into early Saturday. CNN said about 10 operations had been conducted, resulting in the deaths or detention of roughly 23 people. Syria’s state‑run Al‑Thawra newspaper said U.S. forces fired heavy missiles from bases in Deir al‑Zour toward desert areas in the east and north.