WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced the start of a military operation in Syria to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” following the deaths nearly a week ago of three U.S. citizens in an ambush blamed on Islamic State.
A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that targeted multiple locations and concentrated areas across central Syria that had Islamic State group infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.
The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official said.
“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Hegseth said on social media.
President Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting near the history city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert last Saturday that killed two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter. He blamed Islamic State, sometimes referred to as ISIS, for their deaths. The troops were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group.
The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of longtime dictator President Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has emphasized that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.
Syrian state television reported that strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”
White House officials noted that Trump had made clear that retaliation was coming.
“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,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the White House said, before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.
The Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Mich., a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.
The shooting near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with Islamic State, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said.
The man stormed a lunch meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.
When asked for further information, the Pentagon referred the Associated Press to Hegseth’s social media post.
Toropin, Finley and Madhani write for the Associated Press. AP writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
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