Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military is targeting ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons facilities. The attack followed the deaths of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter.
President Trump pays tribute to Iowa soldier who died during dignified deportation in Syria
President Donald Trump saluted Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in action at Dover Air Force Base.
The US military began airstrikes on multiple Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria on December 19, following the deaths of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter last week.
“This is not the start of a war. It is a declaration of revenge,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a post on X. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States will never hesitate and will never relent to protect our people.”
Hegseth said U.S. forces attacked “ISIS fighters, infrastructure and weapons sites.” The Pentagon chief said the attack was a “direct response” to Sergeant Johnson’s death. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, Grimes, Iowa. Ayad Sakat, a U.S. civilian interpreter from Michigan, in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13.
President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” for the killing. Three people were killed by a lone gunman. The troops were deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the military’s mission to counter Islamic State.
“As promised,” President Trump said in a post on the social media platform TruthSocial. “For the brutal slaughter of brave American patriots by ISIS in Syria, and as we welcomed their beautiful souls to American soil in a very dignified ceremony earlier this week, I hereby announce that the United States is taking a very serious retaliation.”
The airstrikes announced by Hegseth on December 19 are the latest in a series of airstrikes and ground operations that the US-led coalition has carried out in recent months targeting Islamic State suspects in Syria, often involving Syrian security forces.
President Trump signals continued support for Syria’s new leader
President Trump expressed his continued support for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in a social media post. A former al-Qaeda militant has become Syria’s new president after helping lead the uprising that ousted longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad.
“We’re hitting ISIS strongholds in Syria very hard. This is a place that’s bloody and has a lot of problems, but it’s a place that has a bright future if we can eradicate ISIS,” President Trump said. “We have the full support of the Syrian government, which is led by a man who is working hard to bring a great man back to Syria. We hereby warn all terrorists evil enough to attack Americans.
President Trump welcomed Al-Shallah to the White House on May 13. The talks came after the US president announced he would lift sanctions on Syria to help rebuild the war-torn country.
“He has potential. He’s a true leader,” President Trump told reporters on Air Force One after meeting with Schaller, describing Schaller as a young, attractive man with a very strong past. “He’s really talented at putting it together.”
Contributed by: Reuters
