Washington launches a large-scale attack against Islamic State positions in Syria

BarcelonaThe United States has launched a large-scale attack tonight against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria. as reported by the Army Central Command (Centcom). US President Donald Trump ordered the strikes on Saturday in retaliation for the deadly ISIS attack on US troops in Syria on December 13. Jordan has confirmed its participation in the attack.

"Our message remains clear: if you harm our fighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how much you try to evade justice," Centcom stated. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proclaimed, "We will never forget and we will never let up." The operation involved launching more than 90 precision munitions against more than 35 targets, with the participation of more than 20 aircraft, an official told CBS News. The aircraft used included F-15E fighter jets, A-10 bombers, AC-130J helicopters, MQ-9 drones, and Jordanian-owned F-16s. The extent of the targets and the number of casualties have not been specified. The Trump administration first announced Operation Hawkeye Strike in December, after an ISIS fighter killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter in an ambush in Palmyra, in central Syria. "This is not the start of a war, it is a declaration of revenge," Hegseth said at the time. "The United States, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate to defend its people." Before Saturday's latest strikes, US forces had already killed or captured about 25 ISIS members in 11 missions between December 20 and 29, also as part of this operation, according to CENTCOM.

In the first mission, on December 19, US and Jordanian forces coordinated a "massive attack" against ISIS, using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery, striking "more than 70 targets at various locations in central Syria." In that operation, more than 100 precision munitions were used against known ISIS infrastructure and arsenals.

Syria is in a fragile situation Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2014, which brought an end to a civil war that had ravaged the country for 13 years, Ahmed al-Sharaa has served as president since the rebel group he belongs to overthrew Assad and consolidated its control. Although the Islamic State has been weakened in Syria, it remains active, particularly through attacks throughout 2015 against Kurdish-led forces in the northeast of the country.