US Strikes Back at ISIS After Deadly Ambush in Palmyra
The United States launched a series of large-scale attacks against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in Syria on Saturday, just days after three American personnel were killed in an ambush in the city of Palmyra. The strikes targeted "multiple ISIS targets across Syria" according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which said they occurred at about 5:30pm GMT.
The attacks come after a lone gunman ambushed two American soldiers and their civilian interpreter in Palmyra last month, killing all three. CENTCOM has vowed to track down those responsible for the attack, saying "if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice".
The strikes are part of a broader US military operation dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched on December 19. The operation aimed at targeting ISIS infrastructure and weapons in central Syria.
While CENTCOM did not confirm whether anyone was killed in Saturday's strikes, grainy aerial footage posted online showed multiple explosions in rural areas. The US is coordinating with its partners, including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but has also increased cooperation with the Damascus government since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad last year.
Syria joined the global coalition against ISIS after reaching an agreement with the White House late last year, and officials said that a prominent ISIS figure had been arrested in the Damascus countryside. The US military is still maintaining a presence in Syria, with approximately 1,000 troops remaining on the ground, although plans to reduce personnel are underway.
The United States launched a series of large-scale attacks against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in Syria on Saturday, just days after three American personnel were killed in an ambush in the city of Palmyra. The strikes targeted "multiple ISIS targets across Syria" according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which said they occurred at about 5:30pm GMT.
The attacks come after a lone gunman ambushed two American soldiers and their civilian interpreter in Palmyra last month, killing all three. CENTCOM has vowed to track down those responsible for the attack, saying "if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice".
The strikes are part of a broader US military operation dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched on December 19. The operation aimed at targeting ISIS infrastructure and weapons in central Syria.
While CENTCOM did not confirm whether anyone was killed in Saturday's strikes, grainy aerial footage posted online showed multiple explosions in rural areas. The US is coordinating with its partners, including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but has also increased cooperation with the Damascus government since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad last year.
Syria joined the global coalition against ISIS after reaching an agreement with the White House late last year, and officials said that a prominent ISIS figure had been arrested in the Damascus countryside. The US military is still maintaining a presence in Syria, with approximately 1,000 troops remaining on the ground, although plans to reduce personnel are underway.
. It's like they're just throwing bombs everywhere without thinking of who might get hurt. I mean, yeah ISIS is a bad guy, but killing innocent people? That's not how you win a war 
. And what's with this "we'll kill you anywhere in the world" thing? That's some serious hot mess 
. Can't we just try to de-escalate things for once? I guess when you're at war, that's just how it goes down 
. But still, my heart goes out to those families who lost loved ones in Palmyra last month... tragic 
i mean, three americans killed in one day? it's like, what's the point of all this violence? is it really worth risking lives for some ideology? and what about the innocent people caught in the middle? like, palmyra was already a city torn apart by conflict, now it's just getting worse... does anyone think about the long-term effects on those living there? 
. they're just gonna keep going around in circles, like a merry-go-round of violence 
. we already know ISIS is a resilient bunch, and it's hard to eradicate them completely 
. plus, there's this whole complicated web of allies and partners that the US is working with – kurdish-led SDF, damascus government... it's a mess 
these strikes might just be enough to keep ISIS off balance for a while. who knows what the future holds? 
I mean who needs that many airstrikes? It's like, they're basically giving them a big ol' birthday party up in Syria! The US should just leave ISIS alone, it's not like they're doing any harm... or maybe a little bit of harm, but who cares, right? 
! Super glad the US is taking action after that deadly ambush in Palmyra 
, and I'm rooting for those 1,000 US troops still on the ground 
. We need more countries to join forces against terrorism, like Syria did last year 
. This is one step closer to taking back our global security #GlobalPeaceFirst!
and i'm all about it!!! we need to support our troops who are fighting for their lives over there 
but i think the US is taking the right step by launching these large-scale attacks and showing ISIS who's boss 
we need more unity and cooperation among countries to tackle this global threat 
The world needs more love and kindness than bombs and bullets, you know? 
it's wild how these groups think they can just keep attacking and hurting ppl without anyone stopping them 
anyhooo i'm glad the US is taking action 
our school just got a new security system in place and I'm kinda nervous about it but also relieved that we have people watching over us