Washington/Damascus, Jan 11: US Central Command intensified its offensive against the Islamic State on Saturday, executing a series of large-scale airstrikes across Syria to avenge the recent killing of American personnel.
The midday operation is the second major blow delivered under “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” The mission was authorized by President Donald Trump after a Palmyra ambush killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter last month. Officials confirmed the targets included key ISIS infrastructure used to facilitate attacks in the region.
The military was blunt about the objective of the mission. In a statement released Saturday, US Central Command warned, “If you harm our war fighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world.”
The campaign specifically honors the memory of Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard—both of the Iowa National Guard—and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat. This follows an earlier Dec. 19 strike that successfully dismantled 70 distinct Islamic State sites across central Syria.
