The United States military conducted extensive airstrikes on more than 70 targets linked to the Islamic State group in Syria on Friday (December 19, 2025), dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, in retaliation for an attack that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the city of Palmyra last week.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett described the operation as an act of revenge, saying: “This is not the start of a war, but a declaration of revenge. Today we hunted down our enemies and killed many of them, and we will continue to do so.”
He emphasized that the attacks by ISIS fighters targeted the group’s infrastructure and weapons depots.
The attacks were carried out using F-15A10 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, and artillery, with Jordan also participating with its own fighter jets, which used more than 100 precision munitions.
