The United States military carried out strikes in Syria on Friday targeting Islamic State (IS) fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush that killed two American soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter last week.

U.S. officials described the operation as “large-scale,” hitting around 70 IS targets across central Syria. More strikes are expected, they added.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media that the action was “not the beginning of a war” but “a declaration of vengeance,” emphasizing that the U.S. would protect its personnel under President Donald Trump’s leadership.

President Trump earlier pledged “very serious retaliation” and described the operation as a “massive strike” against IS fighters attempting to regroup in Syria. He also warned terrorists against attacking U.S. personnel again, saying they would face unprecedented consequences.

The strikes involved F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopters, F-16 jets from Jordan, and HIMARS rocket systems. U.S. Central Command said over 100 precision munitions were used against IS targets.

Syria’s foreign ministry condemned last week’s attack, underlining the need for international cooperation against terrorism, and confirmed its commitment to continue fighting IS. Syrian state media reported that U.S. strikes hit IS facilities in Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Jabal al-Amour near Palmyra.

The ambush that prompted the retaliation killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and U.S. civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat. Three other American troops and Syrian security personnel were injured. The gunman, who had recently been reassigned as a security guard over suspected IS links, was killed during the attack.

Trump met with the families of the slain Americans before attending the dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, honoring the fallen service members.