Australia praises US operation against Islamic State in Syria

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday praised a United States operation to eliminate members of the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria in response to an attack that killed two US soldiers and a US interpreter last week.

The US military said it launched the operation at around 2100 GMT on Friday, striking more than 70 Islamic State targets at multiple locations across central Syria in response to the December 13 attack. The terrorist group so far has not claimed responsibility.

Albanese voiced support for the US strikes nearly a week after Australia was shaken by a deadly attack which authorities say was inspired by the ideology of Islamic State.

"These strikes are a direct response to ISIS attacks on US defence personnel and the actions of the United States government are timely, swift and decisive, and we support those actions," Albanese said using an acronym for the terrorist group on Saturday.

Islamic State had caused "untold suffering around the world," both through its actions and the "evil ideology" it spread, Albanese added.

Last Sunday, two attackers opened fire on crowds celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring dozens. Most of the victims were Jewish.

Investigators have identified the Bondi attackers as a father and son. The 50-year-old father was shot dead by police at the scene, while the 24-year-old son was injured and later charged with 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.

Australian authorities have said they believe that the two were influenced and inspired by Islamic State, which has purportedly praised the attack but stopped short of making a direct claim of responsibility.