Washington: The United States has launched another round of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State in Syria following last month’s ambush that killed two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country.
The large-scale strikes, conducted by the US alongside partner forces, occurred about 4.30am AEDT on Sunday, according to US Central Command. The strikes hit multiple Islamic State targets across Syria.
The US and its partner forces have carried out large-scale strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria, the US Central Command has announced.Credit: US Central Command
The strikes are part of a broader operation that is part of President Donald Trump’s response to the deadly ISIS attack that killed Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the civilian interpreter, in Palmyra last month.
“Our message remains strong: 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,” US Central Command said in a statement on Saturday.
A day earlier, Syrian officials said their security forces had arrested the military leader of IS’s operations in the Levant.
The US military said Saturday’s strikes were carried out alongside partner forces without specifying which forces had taken part.
The Trump administration is calling the response to the Palmyra attacks Operation Hawkeye Strike. Both Torres-Tovar and Howard were members of the Iowa National Guard.
Citizens of the Sheik Maksoud neighbourhood in Syria are evacuated to a safe area.Credit: Adri Salido / Getty Images
