WASHINGTON: US forces on Friday (Dec 19) launched a serious army operation in opposition to the Islamic State group in Syria that President Donald Trump described as “very serious retaliation” for an assault that killed three Individuals – two troopers and a civilian.
Washington mentioned a lone gunman from the militant group carried out the Dec 13 assault in Palmyra – house to UNESCO-listed historical ruins and as soon as managed by jihadist fighters – which additionally wounded three US service members.
“US forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eradicate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons websites in direct response to the assault on US forces that occurred on Dec thirteenth in Palmyra, Syria,” US Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X, utilizing an acronym for the jihadist group.
“This isn’t the start of a battle – it’s a declaration of vengeance,” he wrote, including: “At this time, we hunted and we killed our enemies. A lot of them. And we’ll proceed.”
Trump mentioned in a put up on his Fact Social community that US forces are “inflicting very severe retaliation, simply as I promised, on the murderous terrorists accountable”, and that those that assault Individuals “WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE”.
US Central Command introduced that American forces had “commenced a large-scale strike in opposition to ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) infrastructure and weapons websites in Syria”, whereas a safety supply within the Center Japanese nation mentioned air strikes had focused Islamic State group positions within the Homs desert and rural areas of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.
In accordance with the US army, greater than 70 targets had been hit within the strikes.
“NO SAFE HAVENS”
Syria’s overseas ministry, whereas circuitously commenting on the US strikes, mentioned in a put up on X that’s committed to fighting Islamic State and “making certain that it has no protected havens on Syrian territory”.
The Individuals killed within the Palmyra assault final weekend had been Iowa Nationwide Guard sergeants William Howard and Edgar Torres Tovar and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a civilian from Michigan who labored as an interpreter.
Trump, Hegseth and high army officer Normal Dan Caine had been among the many US officers who attended a sombre ceremony marking the return of the useless to the US on Wednesday.
