US Strikes ISIS Targets in Syria in Response to Killing of Americans

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said this was ‘not the beginning of a war.’An U.S. Army AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter prepares to support Operation Hawkeye Strike in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, on Dec 19, 2025. U.S. Army Photo12/19/2025|Updated: 12/19/2025U.S. forces launched a “massive strike” on the ISIS terrorist group’s infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria on Dec. 19, according to U.S. Central Command.“This is not the beginning of a war—it is a declaration of vengeance,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in an X post on Friday.Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at [email protected]Author’s Selected Articles