US forces target ISIS in Syria with large retaliatory strikes
US forces target ISIS in Syria with large retaliatory strikes
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The US military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of ISIS targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for an attack on American personnel, Al Arabiya English reported.
A US-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes and ground operations in Syria targeting ISIS suspects in recent months, often with the involvement of Syria’s security forces.
President Donald Trump had vowed to retaliate after a suspected ISIS attack killed US personnel last weekend in Syria.
US Central Command said the strikes hit more than 70 targets across central Syria, adding that Jordanian fighter jets supported the operation.
Syria reiterated its steadfast commitment to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has “no safe havens on Syrian territory,” according to a statement by the foreign ministry.
Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmyra by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the US military. Three other US soldiers were also wounded in the attack.
About 1,000 US troops remain in Syria.
The Syrian Interior Ministry has described the attacker as a member of the Syrian security forces suspected of sympathizing with ISIS.
Syria has been cooperating with a US-led coalition against ISIS, reaching an agreement last month when President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the White House.
