The US military on Saturday said it had conducted strikes against ISIS in Syria as part of an operation that President Donald Trump ordered last month after an attack on American troops.
The US Central Command said the “large-scale” strikes were carried out in conjunction with partner forces across Syria.
The US Central Command said the strikes were part of an operation Mr Trump launched on December 19 following the ISIS attack on US and Syrian troops in Palmyra, killing two US soldiers and an American interpreter. About 1,000 US troops remain in Syria.
Jordan said its air force took part in the operation. The Jordanian army said the strikes were "coordinated with partners within the framework of the international coalition… to neutralise the capabilities of terrorist groups and prevent them from reorganising.”
Syria's government is led by ex-rebels who toppled the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad in 2024 after a 13-year civil war, and includes members of Syria's former Al Qaeda branch who broke with the group and clashed with ISIS.
Syria has been co-operating with a US-led coalition against ISIS, reaching an agreement late last year when President Ahmad Al Shara visited the White House.
ISIS used to control large areas of land in Syria and neighbouring Iraq but while the group has been largely territorially defeated, it still continues to launch attacks from pockets of fighters. The US supported the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against the extremist group.
The latest US strikes come at a time of clashes between the Syrian army and the SDF amid faltering talks to integrate the Kurdish forces into state institutions. Heavy fighting has been taking place in Kurdish-controlled areas of Aleppo, raising renewed fears of displacement.
Earlier this month, the UK and France also carried out strikes on the group's positions in Syria. Beyond Syria, fears of an ISIS resurgence have been mounting. Neighbouring Turkey conducted several raids last month in pursuit of remnant ISIS cells, carrying out hundreds of arrests across the country.
