US bombs Islamic State targets in Syria after attack on personnel

The United States conducted dozens of air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria as part of "Operation Hawkeye Strike." This military action was a direct response to an ambush in Palmyra that killed two American soldiers and one civilian interpreter. The Secretary of War described the strikes as a "declaration of vengeance" intended to eliminate IS fighters and infrastructure, not the beginning of a new war. The Syrian government reportedly supports the action, which occurred in a region where approximately 1,000 US troops are stationed for a counter-IS mission.