On December 13, two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an ISIS ambush in the city of Palmyra. Shortly after, US President Donald Trump said he would strike ISIS strongholds.
What you should know
The US military has carried out strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, claiming it was in retaliation for a deadly attack on its soldiers.
On December 13, two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an ISIS ambush in the city of Palmyra.
Shortly after, US President Donald Trump said he would attack ISIS strongholds.
The US military said it had attacked more than 70 locations in central Syria on Friday night, using fighter jets and helicopters.
The attack was planned and carried out by US Central Command (Centrecom), which directs US military operations in Europe, Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. Jordanian aircraft also supported the US in the operation.
The attack targeted IS infrastructure and weapons storage sites, according to Centrecom.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of Centrecom, said that those who seek to harm American citizens and partners will not be spared.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the attack on the US would be retaliated.
'Before targeting any Americans anywhere in the world, you should know that the United States will seek, find and kill mercilessly,' he said. 'Today we sought and killed our enemies. We will continue to do so.'
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said the United States was taking retaliatory action against the terrorists involved in the killings. He also claimed that the Syrian government had full support for the attack.
ISIS has not publicly commented on the attack. According to the United Nations, an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 ISIS fighters are still active in Syria and Iraq. Syria recently joined the international coalition to fight ISIS and has pledged to cooperate with the United States.
Syrian President Hamad al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump at the White House last November.
