A US official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had Islamic State infrastructure and weapons. US president Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian Desert, for which he blamed Islamic State, also known as Isis. [ Two US soldiers and an interpreter killed in suspected Islamic State attack in SyriaOpens in new window ]Mr Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning Islamic State against attacking American personnel again. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by Islamic State as launching points for its operations in the region”. While Mr al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, he has had a long-running enmity with Islamic State.

Source: The Irish Times December 21, 2025 09:13 UTC