Paul Moss

So it's very important that this is seen as something that they're tackling together.

And that's why President Trump and Pentagon sources are saying there was an attack on U.S.

and Syrian forces.

In other words, the

very serious retaliation, to use the words that he has used, would be against those deemed responsible.

Donald Trump has said that he believes that would be ISIS, but certainly this isn't a question, as historically would have been the case, of potentially having to deal with a Syrian government.

So very much keeping the presidents of Syria in the tent on this one.

Sean Dilley.

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegzeth, responded to Saturday's shooting by saying...

if you target Americans anywhere in the world, the United States will hunt you, find you and ruthlessly kill you.

But US forces have been trying to defeat Islamic State in Syria for several years.

I spoke about this with our reporter Yousef Taha, who knows the region well, and I asked him about the US operation.

U.S.

forces have been conducting various operations across Syria on the quiet without too much fanfare, really, for the last few years.

And it says that they are there to make sure that the Islamic State never becomes active again or powerful, for that matter.

And as we speak, joint operations by the US and Syrian forces are combing the area in search for any remnants of Islamic states there.

Can you tell us anything about how successful they have been?

I mean, as I say, they're promising to get revenge for this and any other attacks.

But how successful have they been?

They have been partially successful.