U.S. Airstrikes Target Over 35 ISIS Sites in Syria

The United States military conducted large-scale airstrikes against Islamic State targets across Syria on Saturday, targeting more than 35 sites as part of an ongoing retaliation for a deadly ambush on American personnel last month. The operation, directed by President Donald Trump, involved over 20 aircraft and more than 90 precision munitions, according to U.S. Central Command.

The strikes, which took place around 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, formed part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched on December 19 in response to an attack near the ancient city of Palmyra on December 13. That ambush killed three Americans: two Iowa National Guard soldiers, Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, along with a civilian interpreter from Michigan. The incident occurred during a lunch meeting involving U.S. and Syrian security officials. Three other U.S. service members were wounded, as were at least two members of Syrian security forces. The gunman, who was killed at the scene, had recently joined Syria's Internal Security Forces as a base guard but was reassigned due to suspicions of ISIS affiliation. The group has not...