Overview

US and allied forces conducted "large-scale" strikes against Islamic State targets across Syria on Saturday in retaliation for a 13 December attack in Palmyra that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter. US Central Command said the campaign, named Operation Hawkeye Strike, was launched "in direct response" to the lethal assault and targeted ISIS positions throughout the country. The action follows an earlier round of strikes carried out with Jordan under the same operation last month.

Context

Palmyra, home to UNESCO-listed ruins and formerly held by jihadists, was the scene of the lone-gunman attack on US and Syrian personnel supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. While international-backed local forces pushed IS from its territorial strongholds, the group still operates in Syria’s vast desert regions. The strikes come amid a broader US policy of reducing its footprint in Syria — including a Pentagon plan to halve troop numbers and officials’ statements about consolidating bases — even as Washington uses targeted military action to deter renewed IS attacks as reported by The Guardian