A "retaliatory attack" refers to an act of responding or fighting back against an aggressive action or provocation. It typically involves an offensive response to defend oneself or seek revenge. Full definition
Previous military interventions have always resulted in retaliatory attacks on the communities where the rebels have operated. (blog.politics.ox.ac.uk)
The act would likely set off a lethal cascade of retaliatory attacks, which is why strategists call this scenario mutually assured destruction. (scientificamerican.com)
Donald Trump's presidency has climate scientists concerned about the implications for U.S. environmental policies, the worldwide effort to curb the impacts of climate change, and the ability of scientists to freely to continue their research, which can be insidiously undermined through funding cuts, gag orders, or punitive measures and retaliatory attacks against scientists who publicly discuss their research. (csldf.org)