United States has launched a military operation against the Islamic Sttae group in Syria after a deadly strike in Palmyra killed three Americans, including two soldiers. US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the US forces retaliated by striking the nation in response to the ISIS killing of Americans.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike, a targeted campaign to wipe out ISIS fighters, their bases, and weapon caches.
In a post on X, Hegseth wrote: “Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria. 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.”
“As we said directly following the savage attack, 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,” he added.
Two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed, while three others from the US military were injured in the ISIS attack on a convoy of US and Syrian forces in the central town of Palmyra.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, vowed that the terrorists would face unprecedented fury. He said that the US forces were striking the “ISIS strongholds in Syria”. He also hailed Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa for his support of the US retaliation against the militant group.
“Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible. We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria, a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated.”
“The Government of Syria, led by a man who is working very hard to bring Greatness back to Syria, and is fully in support. 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,” he continued.
The operation draws its name from the “Hawkeye State” of Iowa, honouring the two fallen soldiers both hailed from there. Strikes hammered dozens of ISIS-linked sites across Syria, including key infrastructure and arms depots, according to a military official speaking to CNN.
This week, the US Army named the casualties: Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, Iowa. The duo died battling enemy forces in Palmyra. They served with the Iowa National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.
