US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on December 17, 2025 upon return from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where he attended a ceremony for the return of the remains of two Iowa National Guard members and a translator killed in an attack in Syria. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has launched military strikes in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American interpreter almost a week ago. A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official said more strikes should be expected. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations. President Donald Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert. In a social media post on Friday, he said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.”
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