Jordan has confirmed its participation in a recent military operation led by the United States in Syria, targeting Islamic State group positions. This comes in response to a deadly attack earlier this month that claimed the lives of three U.S. citizens, including two soldiers and an interpreter.
On Friday, the U.S. military conducted a series of airstrikes across Syria aimed at dismantling Islamic State infrastructure. These strikes were a direct response to an incident involving a Syrian gunman, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. personnel. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least five individuals, including the leader of an IS cell, were killed during these operations.
Jordan, as a member of the global coalition against IS, played a significant role in these airstrikes. The Jordanian military issued a statement confirming their air force’s involvement in the precise targeting of several IS locations in southern Syria. The operation’s objective was to prevent extremist groups from using these areas as launching points for regional threats, particularly as IS has been regrouping in southern Syria.
U.S. Central Command revealed that more than 70 targets were engaged across central Syria utilizing a combination of fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery. Jordan provided additional support with its fighter aircraft. This collaborative effort follows the Dec. 13 attack, after which U.S. and partner forces have conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the elimination or capture of 23 terrorist operatives.
In response to the attack, President Donald Trump promised “very serious retaliation” and maintained his support for Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who aligns with U.S. actions against IS. Although IS has not claimed responsibility for the attack on U.S. personnel, the group has taken credit for other recent attacks on Syrian forces.
The tragic event near Palmyra also left three U.S. troops and several members of Syria’s security forces injured. The attacker, a member of Syria’s internal security forces for two months, was killed during the incident. He was being investigated for potential IS affiliations at the time.
