The strikes were reportedly conducted in response to a December 13th attack by Daesh militants on US forces in Palmyra (Deir ez-Zur), aimed to dismantle the terrorist group’s infrastructure in the region.
According to a statement from the US military, 35 Daesh positions were targeted in the aerial assault.
Separately, a US official, requesting anonymity, indicated that 90 precision bombs were utilized in the operation. The US military deployed over 20 fighter jets, including F-16s from Jordan’s Air Force, to carry out the attacks.
Intelligence sources, as reported by CNN on December 29, 2021, suggest that the retaliatory airstrikes may continue for several weeks, with the US potentially maintaining its aerial campaign for a period of several weeks or up to a month.
The US military retaliated after December 13, when a lone Daesh gunman attacked a US outpost, resulting in the deaths of two US soldiers and one US civilian, along with injuries to three coalition personnel. The attacker was also killed.
In a televised address, the US President Donald Trump vowed to relentlessly target Daesh positions in Syria following the casualties in Palmyra.