US and allied forces carried out “large-scale” strikes against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria on Saturday, the US military said, in the latest response to an attack last month that left three Americans dead.
Washington said a lone gunman from the militant group carried out the December 13 attack in Palmyra — home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by jihadist fighters — that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter.
“The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria” and were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched “in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra,” US Central Command said in a statement on X, using an acronym for the jihadist group.
The United States and Jordan carried out a previous round of strikes as part of the same operation last month, hitting dozens of Islamic State group targets.
The Jordanian army said Saturday’s strikes “were coordinated with partners within the framework of the international coalition… to neutralize the capabilities of terrorist groups and prevent them from reorganizing”. (AFP)
