US Forces Strike Over 30 Islamic State Targets in Syria in Retaliation for Deadly Ambush

The United States military has carried out more than 30 air and drone strikes against Islamic State positions in Syria this month, in retaliation for the killing of two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter during an ambush late last year.

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the operations were conducted between 3 February and Thursday, targeting weapons storage facilities and key infrastructure linked to the extremist group. The strikes form part of Washington’s effort to sustain what it described as “relentless military pressure” on the remnants of the terrorist network.

CENTCOM said the attacks involved precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), striking more than 10 locations across Syria.

The latest wave of attacks follows earlier strikes between 27 January and 2 February, which hit a communications site, logistics networks and weapons depots used by the group.

The military campaign, known as Operation Hawkeye Strike, was launched after Islamic State fighters attacked US and allied Syrian forces in Palmyra, southern Syria, on 13 December. The assault killed two US sergeants — Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard — along with civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat.

CENTCOM said that in the past two months of operations, more than 50 Islamic State fighters have been killed or captured, while over 100 targets linked to the group have been struck.

Meanwhile, thousands of suspected Islamic State militants have reportedly been transferred from detention facilities in Syria to prisons in neighbouring Iraq, as regional efforts continue to dismantle the group’s remaining networks.