Trump said the strikes were a direct response to the December 13 attack in Palmyra, where two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed. Three other American troops were wounded during the incident.
Posting on Truth Social, the US president said the country was delivering “serious retaliation” against those responsible, adding that Syrian authorities were supportive of the action.
He said: “If you target Americans – anywhere in the world – you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”
This is similar to Neeson’s iconic quote in the movie, Taken, where he says: “I have a very particular set of skills… skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you”
The US Defence Secretary said militants responsible for targeting Americans would face a lifetime spent “looking over their shoulder”, adding that US forces would track them down and kill them wherever they were.
The comments followed Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched late on Friday, which US Central Command said involved fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and artillery units striking over 70 locations linked to IS across central Syria. Aircraft from Jordan were also involved in the mission.
According to Centcom, more than 100 precision weapons were used to hit weapons depots, command sites and other infrastructure used by the extremist group.
Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper said US forces would continue to aggressively target militants who threaten American personnel or allies in the region.
The Pentagon said the Palmyra ambush was carried out by an IS attacker who was shot dead during the incident. However, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights offered a conflicting account, claiming the assailant was linked to Syrian security forces. No group has formally claimed responsibility, and the attacker’s identity has not been made public.
The Observatory also reported that Friday’s strikes hit IS positions near Raqqa and Deir ez Zor, killing several fighters, including a senior figure within the group. These claims could not be independently verified, and IS has yet to comment.
Although IS lost the last territory it controlled in Syria in 2019, the group remains active. The United Nations estimates it still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters operating across Syria and Iraq.
US forces have been stationed in Syria since 2015 as part of an international campaign aimed at weakening IS and supporting local partners. Syria has recently joined a multinational effort against the group and has pledged to co-operate with Washington.
Relations between the two countries have shifted in recent months. In November, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Trump at the White House, describing the talks as the beginning of a “new phase” after his coalition removed Bashar al-Assad from power last year.
