Web Desk

<div id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2;">ISLAMABAD: US and allied forces carried out &ldquo;large-scale&rdquo; strikes against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria on Saturday, the US military said, in the latest response to an attack last month that left three Americans dead.</div> Washington said a lone gunman from the militant group carried out the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra &mdash; home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by jihadist fighters &mdash; that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter. &ldquo;The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria&rdquo; and were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched &ldquo;in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra,&rdquo; US Central Command said in a statement on X, using an acronym for the jihadist group.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2010089772120002721&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a555e0839506d554b9f8f5179cd37236169c3a89&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 225px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2010089772120002721"></iframe></div></div>Jordan strikesJordan&#39;s air force also carried out targeted air strikes against IS as part of the operation, its military said on Sunday. It said in a statement it struck &quot;a number of targets... in several areas within Syria territory&quot;. The United States and Jordan carried out a previous round of strikes as part of the same operation last month, hitting dozens of Islamic State group targets. The Palmyra attack was the first such incident since the overthrow of Syria&rsquo;s longtime ruler, Bashar al-Assad, in December 2024. The US personnel who were targeted were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the international effort to combat the Islamic State group, which seized swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014. The jihadists were ultimately defeated by local ground forces backed by international airstrikes and other support, but the group still has a presence in Syria, especially in the country&rsquo;s vast desert regions. US President Donald Trump has long been skeptical of Washington&rsquo;s presence in Syria, ordering the withdrawal of troops during his first term but ultimately leaving American forces in the country. The Pentagon announced in April that the United States would halve the number of US personnel in Syria in the following months, while US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said in June that Washington would eventually reduce its bases in the country to one.

Americas

Middle East

US and allied forces struck an Islamic jihadist group in Syria in response to a deadly Palmyra attack, the US said. Jordan’s air force also carried out targeted strikes on multiple sites inside Syria.

US announces 'large-scale' strikes against IS in Syria

DAMASCUS: Clashes between government troops and Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria&rsquo;s Aleppo killed at least nine people on Tuesday, mostly civilians, in one of the worst flare-ups between the sides in months. The implementation of a March deal to merge the Kurds&rsquo; semi-autonomous administration and military into Syria&rsquo;s new government has largely stalled.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 552px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2008632287907270862&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=1f47463563661dc86ac6b6e51315a5a78e9350ca&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2008632287907270862"></iframe></div></div>Tensions have occasionally erupted into clashes, particularly in Aleppo, which has two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods. Deadliest violenceBoth sides traded blame over who started Tuesday&rsquo;s fighting, which continued into the night and is among the deadliest violence between the government and Kurdish forces since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad more than a year ago.&nbsp; It also adds to concerns about progress on the integration deal. On Tuesday morning, the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said factions affiliated with the government &ldquo;targeted the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood&rdquo;. By evening, the SDF said the death toll in the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh districts had risen to four civilians, including two women and a child. It reported &ldquo;indiscriminate artillery and missile shelling&rdquo; on the areas, including &ldquo;the use of drones... direct sniper fire and heavy-weapon fire&rdquo;. Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh have remained under the control of Kurdish units linked to the SDF, despite Kurdish fighters agreeing to withdraw from the areas in April. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Stalled integration&nbsp;</h2>In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, the defense ministry said the SDF targeted &ldquo;a number of neighborhoods in Aleppo city adjacent to the districts it controls&rdquo;. SANA reported five people killed by SDF fire -- four civilians, including a child, in addition to a member of the Defense Ministry personnel. The agriculture ministry said two of the dead were workers at a research center. &ldquo;The SDF is again proving that it does not recognize the March 10 agreement and is trying to undermine it,&rdquo; the defense ministry said. Suspension of flights&nbsp;Civil aviation authorities announced &quot;the suspension of flights to and from Aleppo airport for 24 hours and their diversion to Damascus airport&quot; due to the violence, SANA reported. Governor Azzam al-Gharib announced schools, universities, and government offices in Aleppo city would be closed on Wednesday and public events cancelled, citing &ldquo;the current situation and the targeting of several hospitals and institutions by indiscriminate SDF artillery shelling&rdquo;. The SDF&nbsp;controls swathes of Syria&rsquo;s oil-rich north and northeast, and, supported by a US-led international coalition, was key to the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria in 2019.The March agreement on its integration into the state was supposed to be implemented by the end of 2025. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&lsquo;Lay down&rsquo; weapons&nbsp;</h2>In Ankara, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said, &ldquo;the PKK (the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party) and all affiliated groups must immediately cease all terrorist activity in regions where they are present, including in Syria, and lay down their weapons without condition&rdquo;. The SDF is dominated by the People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militant group seen by Ankara as an extension of the PKK, which earlier this year agreed to end its four-decade armed struggle against Turkey. &ldquo;We will not allow any terrorist organization -- particularly the PKK, the PYD, the YPG, and the SDF -- to establish a foothold in the region,&rdquo; Guler added. A close ally of the new authorities, Turkey shares a 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria and has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish forces from its frontier. Also, on Tuesday, the SDF accused factions affiliated with Syria&#39;s army of attacking Deir Hafer, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Aleppo, and near the strategic Tishreen Dam to the city&#39;s northeast. The Kurdish-led force affirmed its right to &ldquo;respond legitimately to these attacks&rdquo;. On Sunday, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi held further talks with officials in Damascus on integrating the Kurdish-led forces, but state media reported no tangible results. The Kurds are pushing for decentralized rule, an idea which Syria&#39;s new authorities have rejected. Last month in Aleppo, clashes killed five people, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged the SDF not to be an obstacle to Syria&#39;s stability.

The implementation of a March deal to merge the Kurds’ semi-autonomous administration and military into Syria’s new government has largely stalled.

Nine dead in clashes between Syrian govt, Kurdish forces in Aleppo

ISLAMABAD: Israel and Syria have resumed diplomatic talks with US support, according to a statement from Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office on Tuesday. The dialogue is part of what Israel described as a US initiative to promote peace in the Middle East. &ldquo;During the talks, Israel emphasized the importance of protecting its citizens and preventing cross-border threats,&rdquo; the statement said. Israel reaffirmed its commitment to regional stability and security, highlighting the potential for economic cooperation and the protection of Syria&rsquo;s Druze minority.&nbsp; Officials said the dialogue would continue to advance shared goals and address security concerns. A joint statement on the Trilateral meeting between the governments of the United States of America, the State of Israel, and the Syrian Arab Republic was shared by the US State Department on X on Tuesday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 665px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2008609639441854572&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=1f47463563661dc86ac6b6e51315a5a78e9350ca&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2008609639441854572"></iframe></div></div>&quot;Non-negotiable national rights&quot; Syria&rsquo;s state news agency, SANA, reported that the Syrian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama. Damascus framed the resumption of talks as an effort to reclaim what it called its non-negotiable national rights. The discussions reportedly focus on reviving the 1974 disengagement agreement, which established a UN-monitored buffer zone along the Israel-Syria border following the 1973 Middle East war. Tensions escalated after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was toppled on December 8, 2024, by forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, prompting deeper Israeli troop movements along the border. Israel has also cited missions to protect the Druze minority in southwestern Syria. Syria is calling for Israel to return to pre-2024 positions and seeks a reciprocal security framework to safeguard its sovereignty and prevent foreign interference in its internal affairs.&nbsp;

Israel and Syria have resumed US-backed diplomatic talks focusing on regional stability, border security, revival of the 1974 disengagement agreement, protection of civilians, and addressing cross-border threats amid heightened tensions

Israel, Syria resume US-backed talks to advance regional stability

LONDON: The British Ministry of Defence said it cooperated with France on Saturday night to strike an underground facility in Syria that had likely been used by the Islamic State group to store weapons. &quot;Royal Air Force aircraft have completed successful strikes against Daesh in a joint operation with France,&quot; the ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS. &quot;This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation,&quot; the statement added. The ministry said there was no indication the bombing north of the ancient site of Palmyra had posed any risk to civilians. IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 but still maintains a presence, particularly in the country&#39;s vast desert. Palmyra, home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins, was once controlled by militants. Last month, Washington said a lone IS gunman in Palmyra attacked American personnel, killing two US soldiers and a US civilian. US forces said they struck dozens of IS targets in Syria in retaliation.

Europe

The British Ministry of Defence said it cooperated with France on Saturday night to strike an underground facility in Syria that had likely been used by the Islamic State group to store weapons.

UK says conducted joint strike with France on IS site near Palmyra

ISLAMABAD: In 2025, Israel launched an unprecedented series of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/the-bitter-relationship-between-israel-and-arab-states" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military attacks across six countries in the Middle East</a>, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).&nbsp; The data analysis group&rsquo;s report, &ldquo;Israel recalibrates its military campaigns in a region still on edge,&rdquo; highlights the growing scope and intensity of Israel&rsquo;s actions in the region. ACLED, an independent global conflict monitor, reported that Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year, marking the widest geographic reach of any military worldwide in 2025. &ldquo;In 2025, Israel launched attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen,&rdquo; ACLED states, noting that between January 1 and November 28 alone, Israel &ldquo;undertook more than 12,500 military actions across the Middle East.&rdquo; Deadliest zone: Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank)ACLED identified the Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, as the deadliest theater of Israel&rsquo;s military activity in 2025. &ldquo;Gaza remained the deadliest arena; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defense-says-7-killed-in-israeli-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDF killed thousands</a>&nbsp;&mdash; the majority civilians &mdash; in strikes,&rdquo; the report details. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strikes reportedly killed over 16,100 Palestinians in Gaza. The report further stated that Israel broke a ceasefire in January and, by October, had &ldquo;confined Palestinians in Gaza to less than 25% of the enclave and was pushing to establish full control over Gaza City.&rdquo; In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/14-countries-condemn-israels-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">West Bank</a>, ACLED documented intensified Israeli military operations: &ldquo;The IDF conducted its largest operations in decades, displacing tens of thousands from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams camps.&rdquo; Lebanon: ongoing air and artillery strikesDespite a ceasefire, ACLED recorded that Israel continued to carry out air and artillery strikes in Lebanon. &ldquo;The IDF conducted nearly 1,600 air- and artillery strikes, as well as shooting attacks, in Lebanon,&rdquo; the report said. Israeli forces withdrew ground troops in February but continued &ldquo;hundreds of near-daily strikes, mainly in the south but also in the Bekaa Valley and Beirut,&rdquo; killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including nearly 25 commanders. Iran: strategic campaignACLED describes Israel&rsquo;s campaign in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-missile-programme-defensive-nonnegotiable" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;as the most strategically consequential foreign operation of 2025. &ldquo;Israel launched a 12-day military campaign consisting of over 350 airstrikes across 27 provinces, including in the capital Tehran,&rdquo; the report notes. Targets included missile sites, military bases, nuclear facilities, and government buildings, with assassinations of senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. Syria: expanded presence and strikesIsrael maintained and expanded its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/three-wounded-in-southern-syria-after-israeli-incursion-state-media" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military presence in Syria</a>, according to ACLED. &ldquo;In Syria, the IDF targeted Syrian military assets despite al-Assad&rsquo;s ouster,&rdquo; the report says, noting that Israel &ldquo;established six additional outposts in the demilitarized buffer zone, deploying up to 15 kilometers inside Syria.&rdquo; Yemen: targeted operations against HouthisIn Yemen, Israel escalated its military campaign against Houthi forces. &ldquo;The IDF conducted operations on 16 separate days in 2025, killing over 120 people,&rdquo; ACLED states, highlighting strikes that decimated the Houthi de facto government and killed the military chief of staff. Qatar: Rare but significant targetACLED points out Israel&rsquo;s rare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/qatar-says-us-claims-of-warnings-prior-to-doha-attack-are-%E2%80%98baseless%E2%80%99" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military action in Qatar</a>, related to its pursuit of Hamas leaders. &ldquo;From Palestine to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and even Qatar, the Israel Defense Forces projected military power across the region in 2025,&rdquo; the report says. The strike in Qatar marked a diplomatic turning point affecting regional relations later in the year. ACLED concludes that Israel&rsquo;s 2025 military posture shifted from a status quo power to a more revisionist one, noting: &ldquo;Israel established or expanded buffer zones and military outposts in three countries.&rdquo; This data underscores the complex and far-reaching nature of Israel&rsquo;s military campaigns in the Middle East throughout 2025, marking one of the most active and geographically expansive years in recent regional history.

ACLED says Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year.

Israel attacked six Muslim countries in 2025: Report

ANKARA: Three Turkish police personnel were killed, and nine other people were wounded in an operation on Monday against the Islamic State group in the northwest of the country, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. The fighting took place at Yalova on the Sea of Marmara during one of scores of raids against the militant group, the minister said, adding that six Islamic State members were killed. &quot;Three of our courageous police unfortunately, lost their lives. Eight police and a security agent were also wounded,&quot; he added. &lsquo;Simultaneous operations&rsquo;Yerlikaya said that &quot;simultaneous operations&quot; were staged on 108 addresses in 15 provinces, including at Yalova at 2:00 am (2300 GMT Sunday). &quot;During this operation, IS terrorists opened fire on our courageous police,&quot; he said. According to the minister, the six IS operatives killed were all Turkish, and five women and six children who were with them were all evacuated safely. An Istanbul prosecutor last week ordered the detention of 137 suspected IS members following information that the group planned attacks during the end-of-year holidays. Turkey has a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Syria and is wary of cross-frontier infiltrations by militants. IS was recently accused of attacking Americans in Palmyra, killing two soldiers and an interpreter.&nbsp;

According to the Turkish minister, the six IS operatives killed were all Turkish, and five women and six children who were with them were all evacuated safely.

Three Turkish police, six Islamic State militants killed in clash: minister

DAMASCUS: A deadly explosion hit a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area of Syria&#39;s Homs on Friday, said authorities who reported at least six people killed. &quot;A terrorist explosion targeted the Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque during Friday prayers in Al-Khadri Street in the Wadi al-Dahab neighbourhood of Homs,&quot; the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that six people were killed and 21 others wounded. Homs was the scene of heavy sectarian violence during Syria&#39;s civil war. Syria&#39;s state news agency SANA, which also reported the blast, said its cause and nature were being investigated. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, it was not immediately clear whether the blast &quot;was caused by a suicide attack or an explosive device. A local security source in Homs told AFP on condition of anonymity that the explosion may have been caused by &quot;an explosive device placed inside the mosque. A resident of the area, requesting anonymity out of fear for his safety, told AFP people &quot;heard a loud explosion, followed by chaos and panic in the neighbourhood&quot;. &quot;No one dares to leave their house, and we are hearing ambulance sirens,&quot; he added. SANA published photos from inside the mosque, one of which showed a hole in a wall. Black smoke covered part of the mosque, with carpets and books scattered nearby. Homs city is home to a Sunni Muslim majority but also has several predominantly Alawite areas. While most Syrians are Sunni, the ousted ruler, Bashar al-Assad, belongs to the Alawite community, whose faith stems from Shiite Islam. Since Assad&#39;s ouster in 2024, the Observatory and ordinary Syrians in Homs have reported kidnappings and killings targeting members of the minority community. Syria&#39;s coastal areas saw the massacre of Alawite civilians in March, with authorities accusing armed Assad supporters of sparking the violence by attacking security forces. A national commission of inquiry said at least 1,426 members of the minority community were killed at the time, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor put the toll at more than 1,700.

FILE: Pro-Turkish Syrian fighters carry away the victim of a car-bomb explosion last November in Tal Abyad (AFP)

Australasia

A deadly explosion hit a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area of Syria's Homs on Friday, said authorities who reported at least six people killed.

Deadly blast hits mosque in Alawite area of Syria's Homs

BERLIN: Germany deported a man to Syria for the first time since the civil war broke out in that country in 2011, the interior ministry in Berlin said Tuesday.&nbsp;A Syrian immigrant previously convicted of criminal offences in Germany was flown to Damascus and handed over to Syrian authorities on Tuesday morning, the ministry said.&nbsp;&quot;Our society has a legitimate interest in ensuring that criminals leave our country,&quot; Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in a press release.&nbsp;The deportation just before Christmas capped months of talks with Syria&#39;s government, which mirrored similar efforts by Berlin to strike a deportation deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan.&nbsp;Human rights groups have criticised efforts to send immigrants back to either country, citing continued instability and evidence of rights abuses.&nbsp;But Germany&#39;s conservative-led government has made the resumption of deportations to Syria a diplomatic priority since former president Bashar al-Assad fled the country just over a year ago.&nbsp;In July, Austria became the first European Union country to deport someone to Syria since 2011.&nbsp;The German ministry said that deals have now been struck with both Damascus and Kabul to allow regular deportations of &quot;criminals and dangerous individuals&quot; in the future.&nbsp;Roughly a million Syrians fled to Germany to escape the civil war, many of them arriving in 2015.&nbsp;The Syrian man deported on Tuesday had served a prison sentence in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia for aggravated robbery, bodily harm and extortion.&nbsp;The ministry said an Afghan man was also deported to his home country on Tuesday. That man had also served time in prison for intentional bodily harm and other crimes.

Germany deported a Syrian man convicted of crimes, marking its first return to Syria since 2011, after talks with Damascus. Berlin says deals now allow deportations of criminals, despite criticism from human rights groups internationally.

Germany deports man to Syria for first time since 2011

BEIRUT: A Syria monitor said Saturday that at least five Islamic State group members including a cell leader were killed in US strikes overnight in retaliation for an attack last weekend that left three Americans dead. Washington said a lone gunman from the IS jihadist group carried out the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra, home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by jihadist fighters, which killed two US soldiers and a US civilian. In response, the United States &quot;struck more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria with fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery,&quot; US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that &quot;at least five members of the Islamic State group were killed&quot; in eastern Syria&#39;s Deir Ezzor province, including the leader of a cell responsible for drones in the area. A Syrian security source told AFP that the US strikes targeted IS cells in Syria&#39;s vast Badia desert including in Homs, Deir Ezzor and Raqa provinces, and did not include ground operations. Most of the targets were in a mountainous area running north of Palmyra including towards Deir Ezzor, the source said, requesting anonymity. Using another acronym for IS, CENTCOM said &quot;the operation employed more than 100 precision munitions targeting known ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites.&quot; President Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network that the United States is &quot;inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,&quot; and that those who attack Americans &quot;WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE.&quot;

The strike come after a lone gunman from the IS jihadist group carried out the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra, home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by jihadist fighters, which killed two US soldiers and a US civilian.

Syria monitor says US strikes killed at least five IS members

WASHINGTON: US forces struck more than 70 Islamic State group targets in Syria on Friday in what President Donald Trump described as &quot;very serious retaliation&quot; 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 US soldiers and a US civilian dead. In response, the United States &quot;struck more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria with fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery,&quot; US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. &quot;The operation employed more than 100 precision munitions targeting known ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites,&quot; 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 &quot;inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,&quot; and that those who attack Americans &quot;WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE.&quot; CENTCOM said that US and allied forces have &quot;conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 terrorist operatives&quot; following the Palmyra attack, without specifying which groups the militants belonged to. - &#39;No safe havens&#39; -Syria&#39;s foreign ministry, while not directly commenting on the Friday strikes, said in a post on X that the country is committed to fighting the Islamic State (IS) group and &quot;ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory, and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.&quot; The Americans killed in the Palmyra attack last weekend were Iowa National Guard sergeants William Howard and Edgar Torres Tovar, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a civilian from Michigan who worked as an interpreter. Trump, Hegseth and top military officer General Dan Caine were among the US officials who attended a somber ceremony marking the return of the dead to the United States on Wednesday. The attack was the first such incident since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year, and Syrian interior ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said the perpetrator was a security forces member who was due to be fired for his &quot;extremist Islamist ideas.&quot; The US personnel who were targeted were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the international effort to combat IS, which seized swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014. The jihadists were ultimately defeated by local ground forces backed by international air strikes and other support, but IS still has a presence in Syria, especially in the country&#39;s vast desert. Trump has long been skeptical of Washington&#39;s presence in Syria, ordering the withdrawal of troops during his first term but ultimately leaving American forces in the country. The Pentagon announced in April that the United States would halve the number of US personnel in Syria in the following months, while US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said in June that Washington would eventually reduce its bases in the country to one. US forces are currently deployed in Syria&#39;s Kurdish-controlled northeast as well as at Al-Tanf near the border with Jordan.

The United States struck over 70 Islamic State targets across central Syria in retaliation for a Palmyra attack that killed three Americans, with President Trump warning of severe consequences for those targeting US forces

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