Trump administration conducted extensive military strikes in central Syria on Friday, targeting Islamic State (IS) fighters and weapons facilities in response to an ambush that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter nearly a week ago.
U.S. officials described the operation as “large-scale,” hitting around 70 IS targets across central Syria. Additional strikes are expected, according to sources familiar with the sensitive military operation.
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on social media. “The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
The operation comes as the Trump administration has shifted substantial military resources toward the Western Hemisphere, including bolstering a Caribbean naval presence to counter drug smuggling and enforce sanctions on Venezuela. Last month, the U.S.’s most advanced aircraft carrier was redeployed from the Mediterranean to South American waters as part of this strategy, the Associated Press reports.
Trump Vows Retaliation
President Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” following the Syrian desert shooting, blaming IS for the deaths of U.S. personnel stationed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group. Speaking in North Carolina, Trump described Friday’s strikes as a “massive operation” that eliminated IS elements “trying to regroup” in the region.
In a social media post, Trump reaffirmed his support for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, noting that al-Sharaa was “fully in support” of the U.S. response. The president also issued a stern warning to IS: “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.”
The operation deployed F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft, and AH-64 Apache helicopters, with F-16 fighters from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery providing additional support. U.S. Central Command reported that more than 100 precision munitions were used on IS targets in Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Jabal al-Amour near Palmyra.
The strikes tested the developing cooperation between the U.S. and Syria following the ouster of Bashar Assad last year. Syrian Foreign Ministry officials stated the recent attack highlighted “the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms.”
Syrian state media reported that U.S. strikes hit weapons storage sites and IS command posts used for operations in the region.
IS has not claimed responsibility for the ambush on U.S. forces but has since executed attacks against Syrian security personnel, describing al-Sharaa’s government as “apostates.” Al-Sharaa, once affiliated with al-Qaida, has maintained a longstanding enmity with IS.
President Trump met privately with the families of the deceased at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware earlier this week. The fallen included Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, and U.S. civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan.
The ambush near Palmyra also injured three U.S. troops and several members of Syria’s security forces. Syrian officials said the assailant, a recently reassigned security guard suspected of IS affiliation, opened fire during a meeting between U.S. and Syrian personnel. The gunman was subsequently killed.
