The US military has launched airstrikes against dozens of sites linked to the "Islamic State" in central Syria, according to US officials.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the targets of the strikes were the group's fighters, infrastructure and weapons storage depots. According to Hegseth, this is not a war, but an act of revenge.
The operation comes after two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed a week ago in an attack on a convoy of US and Syrian soldiers in the city of Palmyra. Syrian authorities believe the attacker was a sympathizer of the Islamic State group.
A statement from the foreign ministry in Damascus said Syria was reaffirming its commitment to fighting the group and stepping up military action against it. US President Donald Trump, for his part, said the attack was a "very serious retaliation" against the Islamists.