Washington says the strikes are an act of vengeance rather than a declaration of war The United States has launched airstrikes against alleged Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria in what President Donald Trump described as “very serious retaliation” for the killing of American personnel earlier this month.In a statement on Friday, Trump said the strikes were ordered in response to a December 13 attack near Palmyra that left two US servicemen and a civilian interpreter dead.“Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American patriots in Syria… I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,” Trump said. “We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria.”Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said US forces had launched Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeting ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites. The operation, he stressed, was punitive rather than the opening of a wider conflict. CENTCOM forces launched fighter jets, attack helicopters and other assets to conduct the large-scale strike. pic.twitter.com/3szSo2u5rm— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 19, 2025 “This is not the beginning of a war – it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said. “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.” US Central Command confirmed that American forces had “commenced a large-scale strike against ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria.” The operation involved fighter jets, attack helicopters, and other military assets. The Pentagon has not yet released details on the number of targets struck or casualties inflicted, saying battle damage assessments are ongoing.The strikes follow an ambush near Palmyra in which a lone gunman opened fire on a joint patrol involving US and Syrian government forces. The attacker was later killed, according to CENTCOM. Washington has blamed ISIS for the attack and warned that further assaults on American forces would be met with additional military action. The US military presence in Syria dates back to the Obama administration, which deployed troops without the consent of Damascus under the stated objective of fighting terrorism. American forces have remained in the country since then, including under President Trump, who openly acknowledged during his first term that US troops were staying in Syria to “keep the oil.”Trump said the new Syrian government was aware of and supported the retaliatory strike, warning that any group threatening Americans would face overwhelming force.