Syria: US launches retaliatory strikes against Islamic State

Another round of US strikes has reportedly hit targets belonging to the militant Islamist group believed to be behind an attack that killed two US soldiers in Syria in December.

The United States and allied forces hit several positions of the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria on Saturday, the US military said.

The strikes came as a response to a deadly ambush that left two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter dead in late December.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were conducted at 1730 GMT.

It said several IS positions were hit but gave no information on the possible number of casualties.

Why did the US launch strikes in Syria?

On December 13, US forces were ambushed in Palmyra by forces believed to belong to IS.

Another three people were injured in the attack.

In response, the Trump administration launched Operation Hawkeye Strike.

"Our message remains strong: if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice," CENTCOM said on Saturday.

But these were not the first retaliatory strikes. On December 19, another large-scale attack hit some 70 IS targets across central Syria.

US forces have been present in the country for years as part of an operation to fight against IS.

Although originally working with Kurdish forces in the north, the White House has also increased its ties with the new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko