Jordan confirms role in US-led strikes on ISIS positions in Syria

The Jordanian Royal Air Force has participated in the US-led airstrikes carried out against the Daesh group in Syria earlier on December 19.  

The US military said it struck Daesh strongholds across central Syria in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country. Aircraft from Jordan were also involved.

Jordan’s state-run Petra News Agency said: “This participation comes in cooperation with the United States as part of the international coalition against the terrorist Daesh group, which the Syrian government recently joined.”

The US Central Command (Centcom) said the attacks were carried out by fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery against more than 70 targets at multiple locations, mainly targeting infrastructure and weapons sites.  

The operation responding to a December 13 attack that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, involved F-15 and A-10 jets, Apache helicopters, HIMARS rocket systems, and support from Jordanian fighter jets.

President Donald Trump described the strikes as a “massive” and successful retaliation, while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasised that the action targeted ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons, calling it a “declaration of vengeance.”

Syria’s government, which has been cooperating with the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating safe havens for the group on Syrian soil. Approximately 1,000 U.S. troops remain deployed in the country.

By Aghakazim Guliyev