Tel Aviv: The US policy of immediate retaliation for an attack on US troops was demonstrated on December 19, 2025, when the US-led forces launched widespread airstrikes against ISIS weapons and infrastructure locations in Syria.
This was a direct retaliation for an attack in Palmyra on December 13 that claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Over 70 targets in central Syria, including regions close to Palmyra, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa, were included in the operation known as Operation Hawk Eye Strike. More than 100 precise weapons were utilised, along with Jordanian F-16s and US aircraft, including F-15s, A-10s, Apache helicopters, and HIMARS.
A US and Syrian convoy in Palmyra was the target of an insider attack by a Syrian security force member connected to ISIS, which resulted in the deaths of three Americans and the injuries of three US soldiers and Syrian forces. The attacker was neutralised on the spot and had previously been suspected of having ties to ISIS.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called President Trump’s pledge of retaliation a “declaration of retribution” rather than a declaration of war.
The US forces led by the Central Command (CENTCOM) hit ISIS targets using air and ground assets, causing “numerous” enemy casualties. Officials expect operations to continue for weeks. About 1,000 US troops remain in eastern Syria for counter-ISIS efforts.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
