The United States struck multiple Islamic State-affiliated targets in Syria on Friday, according to two U.S. officials, in retaliation for recent attacks on U.S. troops in Syria that killed two service members.
The attack, dubbed “Operation Hawkeye” in reference to the Hawkeye state of Iowa where the two slain U.S. soldiers were from, hit dozens of military targets linked to the Islamic State, including infrastructure and weapons storage sites across Syria, an official said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the attack a “manifesto of revenge” in a post late Friday afternoon.
“This was not the beginning of a war—it was a declaration of revenge,” he wrote. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States of America will defend our people without hesitation or letup.”
The official added that after the Dec. 13 attack that killed two soldiers and a civilian translator, U.S. and partner forces conducted 10 operations that left about 23 people dead or detained. The U.S. official said the operations also yielded intelligence from electronic devices collected during the operations, which helped inform the targets.
Hundreds of U.S. troops continue to deploy to Syria as part of the United States’ long-term mission against ISIS, which began in the mid-2010s when ISIS rapidly took control of large swaths of Syria and Iraq. Subsequent U.S. and partner actions, coupled with regime change in Syria, largely eliminated territorial control.
The official told CNN that the goal of Operation Hawkeye is to deal a heavy blow to the remnants of the Islamic State in Syria and their ability to pose a threat to U.S. forces in the region.
Partner countries, including Jordan, have also joined the U.S. airstrikes, the official said.
Although the Trump administration vowed to retaliate against ISIS after the December 13 attack, CNN reported that the Syrian Interior Ministry said the attacker was a member of Syria’s internal security services. U.S. and Syrian officials acknowledged to CNN that the gunman’s ties to ISIS were not entirely clear. Islamic State has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Two U.S. service members killed in Syria this week have been identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, Des Moines, Iowa, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. The U.S. Army says they were killed during fighting with hostile forces in Palmyra, Syria. Both Soldiers are assigned to the Iowa National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.
Three other Iowa National Guard members were injured in the attack and were evacuated for further treatment.
“Our priority now is to support the families of our fallen and injured soldiers,” Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborne, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, said in a statement. “The entire Iowa National Guard is grieving this terrible loss, and we stand together to support our soldiers and their families.”
About 1,800 Iowa National Guard troops began deploying to the Middle East earlier this year as part of Operation Resolve, according to a news release from Gov. Kim Reynold’s office.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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