US strikes over 70 IS targets in Syria after attack on troops

U.S. forces struck more than 70 Islamic State group targets in Syria on Friday in what President Donald Trump described as "very serious retaliation" for an attack that killed three Americans last weekend.

Washington said a lone gunman from the militant group carried out the December 13 attack in Palmyra -- home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by jihadist fighters -- that left two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian dead.

In response, the United States "struck more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria with fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

"The operation employed more than 100 precision munitions targeting known ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites," CENTCOM said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network that the United States is "inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible," and that those who attack Americans "WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE."

CENTCOM said that U.S. and allied forces have "conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 terrorist operatives" following the Palmyra attack, without specifying which groups the militants belonged to.

AFP