Washington: The United States has launched a series of airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State (ISIS) targets across central Syria, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s vow of "very serious retaliation" following a deadly attack on American personnel last week.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the military action, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, stating that US forces targeted ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons caches.
In a strongly worded statement, Hegseth characterized the operation not as the start of a new war, but as a punitive measure.
"This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance," Hegseth wrote on X. "The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people."
He issued a stark warning to those targeting Americans: "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. Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue."
The strikes were a direct response to an ambush on December 13 near Palmyra. A lone attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces, killing two US Army soldiers and a US civilian interpreter while wounding three other soldiers. The attacker was subsequently shot dead by military personnel.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated that the operation was the fulfillment of the President's pledge. "President Trump told the world that the United States would retaliate for the killing of our heroes by ISIS in Syria, and he is delivering on that promise," she said.
Officials indicated that additional actions could follow as the US continues to target terror infrastructure in the region.
(Inputs from IANS)