The Trump administration has launched large-scale military strikes against Daesh targets in Syria following an ambush that killed two US troops and an American interpreter. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the action was a “declaration of vengeance”, not the start of a wider war….reports Asian Lite News
The United States has carried out large-scale military strikes against Daesh targets across central Syria in retaliation for a deadly ambush that killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter almost a week ago, marking one of the most significant US military actions in the country since the fall of Bashar Assad.
US officials said the strikes, launched on Friday, targeted approximately 70 Daesh sites, including weapons storage facilities, command centres and logistical hubs. The operation was designed to “eliminate” militant fighters and disrupt the group’s ability to carry out further attacks against US and allied forces operating in the region.
According to US defence officials speaking on condition of anonymity, the strikes involved F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters. F-16 fighter jets operating from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery systems were also used. Officials said further strikes were likely in the coming days.
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post. “The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
President Donald Trump had earlier pledged “very serious retaliation” for the attack, which occurred in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra. The US has blamed Daesh for the assault, which targeted American and Syrian security personnel during a joint meeting.
In a separate social media post, Trump said the strikes were aimed at Daesh “strongholds” and issued a warning to the militant group against any further attacks on US forces. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE,” he wrote.
Trump also stressed that Syrian forces were fighting alongside US troops and said Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa was “fully in support” of the operation. The strikes come as Washington deepens cooperation with Syria’s new leadership following the ouster of Assad a year ago, a shift that has tested regional alliances and US policy.
Syria’s foreign ministry said the attack on US personnel underscored the need for stronger international cooperation against terrorism. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said Syria remained committed to fighting Daesh and preventing the group from finding safe havens within its territory.
Syrian state television reported that US strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, as well as the Jabal Al-Amour area near Palmyra. The targets were described as weapons depots and headquarters used by Daesh to plan and launch attacks.
Daesh has not formally claimed responsibility for the attack on US forces, but the group has claimed two subsequent attacks on Syrian security personnel, including one in Idlib province that killed four Syrian soldiers. In its statements, the group referred to Al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates”.
Although President Al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, he has had a long-running rivalry with Daesh, and his government has intensified operations against the group since taking power.
The ambush that prompted the US response took place during a lunch meeting between American troops and Syrian security officials. The assailant, who was killed at the scene, had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base guard two months earlier but had recently been reassigned amid concerns he may have had links to Daesh, according to Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour Al-Din Al-Baba.
The attack killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, both members of the US Army National Guard. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a US civilian interpreter from Macomb, Michigan, was also killed. Three additional US troops and several Syrian security personnel were wounded.
Earlier this week, Trump met privately with the families of the victims at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before attending the dignified transfer ceremony, a solemn ritual honouring service members killed in action.
When asked for further details on the operation, the Pentagon referred inquiries to Hegseth’s public statement, signalling that further information would remain classified as the situation continues to evolve.
