Aftermath of U.S. airstrikes in Idlib, Syria – amvid
WASHINGTON – United States and five Arab partner nation forces have begun airstrikes inside Syria against terrorists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby said in a statement issued late Monday night.
Video released by the U.S. Navy on Monday (September 22) showed F/A-18 Hornets taking off and landing from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. George H.W. Bush in support of strikes against Islamic State (IS).
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said U.S. military forces destroyed two IS vehicles, an IS tank and damaged an IS Humvee in an area southwest of Kirkuk. All the aircraft “exited the strike areas safely,” the statement said.
U.S. military forces and partner nations, including Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, undertook military action against ISIL terrorists in Syria overnight, according to a U.S. Central Command news release.
A mix of fighters, bombers, remotely piloted aircraft and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles conducted 14 strikes against ISIL targets.
The strikes destroyed or damaged multiple ISIL targets in the vicinity of the towns of Ar Raqqah in north central Syria, Dayr az Zawr and Abu Kamal in eastern Syria and Al Hasakah in northeastern Syria. The targets included ISIL fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles, the news release said.
The United States employed 47 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, launched from the USS Arleigh Burke and USS Philippine Sea, which were operating from international waters in the Red Sea and North Arabian Gulf. In addition, U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighters, bombers and remotely piloted aircraft deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations participated in the airstrikes.
Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also participated in or supported the airstrikes against ISIL targets. All aircraft safely exited the strike areas.
Also, in Iraq yesterday, U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists, using attack aircraft to conduct four airstrikes. The airstrikes destroyed two ISIL Humvees, an ISIL armed vehicle and an ISIL fighting position southwest of Kirkuk. All aircraft exited the strike areas safely. To date, U.S. Central Command has conducted a total of 194 airstrikes across Iraq against ISIL.
The United States conducted these strikes as part of the President’s comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL. Going forward, the U.S. military will continue to conduct targeted airstrikes against ISIL in Syria and Iraq as local forces go on the offensive against this terrorist group, the release said.
Separately, the United States also took action to disrupt the imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western interests conducted by a network of seasoned al-Qaida veterans known as the Khorasan Group. The group has established a safe haven in Syria to develop external attacks, construct and test improvised explosive devices and recruit Westerners to conduct operations, the release said. These strikes were undertaken only by U.S. assets.
In total, U.S. Central Command forces conducted eight strikes against Khorasan Group targets located west of Aleppo, to include training camps, an explosives and munitions production facility, a communication building and command and control facilities.
Islamic State urged its followers on Monday to attack citizens of the United States, France and other countries which have joined a coalition to destroy the ultra-radical group. Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani taunted Obama and other Western “crusaders” in a statement carried by the SITE monitoring website.
The strikes are being undertaken through a mix of fighter and bomber aircraft and Tomahawk Land Attack missiles, he said.
“Given that these operations are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide additional details at this time,” Kirby noted.
U.S. Central Command has conducted a total of 190 airstrikes across Iraq in the battle against ISIL forces. The decision to begin the airstrikes in Syria was made earlier today by Centcom Commander Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the admiral said. The strikes are being made under authorization granted by the commander in chief, President Barack Obama, as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.Video by Reuters
