The United States has launched airstrikes in Syria, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s promise to retaliate after the deaths of two American soldiers.
“This is not the start of a war — it is a declaration of revenge,” Hegseth said in a post on X. “Today, we hunt and kill our enemies. Many of them. And we will continue.”
Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria.
This is not the beginning of a war — it is a…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar)
The Pentagon referenced Hegseth’s post, while the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Trump had previously vowed to cause “great harm” to the militants responsible for the deadly attack on US forces in Syria, which he blamed on the Islamic State group.
The two US Army soldiers, along with an American interpreter, were killed in the attack last Saturday (13) in the Syrian city of Palmyra during anti-terrorism operations.
The shooter was killed, according to US Central Command. The Syrian state agency A lot reported on Sunday that security forces arrested five suspects in connection with the attack.
Trump also emphasized that the attack was the work of the Islamic State — and not the new Syrian government. Palmyra is out of the control of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has pledged to join a US-led coalition to defeat Islamic State.
During his first term, Trump ordered strikes in Syria twice in an attempt to eliminate Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons program. In April 2017, the US Army launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles at an air base in Syria. A year later, Trump ordered strikes on three facilities linked to the chemical weapons program.
With Friday’s attacks, Trump has already launched major military actions at least three times — against Houthi rebels in Yemen, Iran’s nuclear program and suspected drug trafficking targets in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Separately, his administration also maintains an anti-terrorism campaign against al-Shabab militants in Somalia.
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The attacks come about a month after Assad’s successor as president, al-Sharaa, met with Trump at the White House and secured additional sanctions relief in exchange for a commitment to join the U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State.
Sharaa’s visit marked a remarkable diplomatic transformation for the former jihadist, who a year ago had a $10 million U.S. reward for his capture. It was also the first time that a Syrian president visited the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.
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