Late on Dec. 19, the U.S. military launched a series of air strikes against what Centcom said were ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for the Dec. 13 killings of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in an attack attributed to ISIS. Centcom forces struck more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria with fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery, it reported on X last night. The Jordanian Armed Forces also supported with fighter aircraft. The operation employed more than 100 precision munitions targeting known ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites.
“This operation is critical to preventing ISIS from inspiring terrorist plots and attacks against the U.S. homeland.” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom. “We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our partners across the region.”
One U.S. official told Reuters that the strikes were carried out by U.S. F-15 and A-10 jets, along with Apache helicopters and HIMARS rocket systems.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth relied heavily on the language of revenge in describing the U.S.-Jordanian operation. “This is not the beginning of a war—it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” said Hegseth.
“As we said directly following the savage attack, 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. [Emphasis added.]
