The United States, along with allied forces, conducted large-scale airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets across Syria on Saturday, the US military confirmed. The operation, named Operation Hawkeye Strike, was a direct response to an attack in December that left three Americans dead.

The December 13 attack in Palmyra, a Syrian city known for its ancient UNESCO-listed ruins, was carried out by a lone ISIS gunman. The assault claimed the lives of two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter. Palmyra had previously been under ISIS control before being reclaimed by Syrian forces.

According to US Central Command, the latest strikes were aimed at multiple ISIS positions throughout Syria, following a previous round of attacks last month that targeted dozens of jihadist locations.

The US personnel killed in Palmyra were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the international effort to eliminate ISIS, which had seized large areas in Syria and Iraq in 2014.

Although local forces backed by international airstrikes eventually pushed back ISIS, the group remains active, particularly in Syria’s desert regions.

US President Donald Trump, who has previously expressed skepticism about US military involvement in Syria, initially ordered troop withdrawals during his first term but ultimately kept forces in place. The Pentagon announced in April plans to reduce US troops in Syria by half, and the US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, indicated that Washington aims to consolidate its military presence to a single base in the country.