The United States Armed Forces carried out a second round of bombings in Syria against Islamic State (ISIS) targets on Saturday as retaliation for the death of three Americans in December, the United States Central Command (Centcom) reported. The 'large-scale' attacks, with the support of 'allied forces,' occurred at 12:30 p.m. Eastern US time (5:30 p.m. GMT) against 'multiple targets' of the group, Centcom specified in a communiqué, without detailing casualties or attacked regions. 'Today's strikes targeted ISIS across Syria as part of our enduring commitment to eradicate Islamic terrorism against our fighters, prevent future attacks, and protect U.S. and associated forces in the region,' the agency reported. Centcom explained that the aggression occurred as part of the 'Operation Hawkeye Strike,' ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump on December 19, when there was a first attack with dozens of targets against the terrorist group's infrastructure and weapons depots in Syria. The operation was a retaliation for the death of two soldiers and an American interpreter a week earlier, on December 13, in the city of Palmyra, in a jihadist attack. 'Our message remains strong: if you hurt our fighters, we will find and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice,' Centcom warned. Since Trump's second return to the White House a year ago, the United States has conducted military actions in six countries (Yemen, Somalia, Iran, Nigeria, Syria, and Venezuela), most of them selective bombings with aircraft or drones against targets that Washington considers strategic. Combating jihadist terrorism and drug trafficking have been the main arguments of the Trump administration for these attacks. 'The United States and coalition forces remain determined to pursue terrorists who harm the United States,' Centcom mentioned, without identifying the countries that supported the U.S. troops.
