U.S. And Allies Hit ISIS In Syria

"Last night on my orders, America’s armed forces began strikes on ISIL targets in Syria," President Obama said Tuesday. The U.S. was joined by five Arab nations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, Obama said.

Updated — Sept. 23, 1:54 p.m. ET

The U.S. and Arab allies hit ISIS strongholds in Syria on Tuesday.

President Obama said the U.S. was joined by five Arab nations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates in conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets. "The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this is not America's fight alone," he said.

"The overall effort will take time," Obama said. "There will be challenges ahead."

Obama spoke from the South Lawn of the White House before leaving for New York City and three days of meetings at the United Nations.

Obama said that the U.S. also "took strikes to disrupt plotting against the United States and our allies by seasoned al Qaeda operatives in Syria who are known as the Khorosan Group. And once again, it must be clear to anyone who would plot against America and try to do Americans harm that we will not tolerate safe havens for terrorists who threaten our people."

A Pentagon official confirmed Monday night that the U.S. had begun airstrikes in Syria.

US military & partner nation forces have begun striking ISIL targets in Syria using mix of fighters, bombers and Tomahawk missiles.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday released videos of the airstrikes. One shows an ISIS storage facility near Abu Kamal, Syria:

vine.co

Another shows an ISIS vehicle staging area near Abu Kamal:

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The full statement from Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, reads:

I can confirm that U.S. military and partner nation forces are undertaking military action against ISIL terrorists in Syria using a mix of fighter, bomber, and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. Given that these operations are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide additional details at this time. The decision to conduct theses strikes was made earlier today by the U.S. Central Command commander under authorization granted him by the commander in chief. We will provide more details later as operationally appropriate.

Drones, fighter jets, bombers, and Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from ships will be used in the operation.

US Aircraft in Syria operation against #ISIS include B-1 bombers, F-16s, F-18s and Predator drones.

It appears that a man in Raqqa, Syria, was the first person to say airstrikes had started.

Breaking: Huge explosions shook the city in what might be the beginning of US airstrikes on ISIS HQs in Raqqa

An attack had been expected, as President Obama promised in a speech earlier this month that he would "degrade, and ultimately, destroy" ISIS.

The plan in Syria includes targets of buildings occupied by ISIS leaders, training sites, and weapon arsenals. There are 20 locations targeted for airstrikes, mainly in Raqqa, with others located in areas east and south of the city, ABC News reported.

Syria's foreign minister said officials in Washington informed Syria's United Nations envoy before the airstrikes began.

When in times of war and of peace it is important that we come together as a nation. To defeat ISIS, we must cut off the head of the snake, which exists in Syria. I support the administration's move to conduct airstrikes against ISIS wherever it exists. ISIS is not just a threat to the United States – it is a threat to all nations that value human life and decency. We must continue to lead the coalition and utilize all tools available to combat this threat until ISIS is destroyed.
These airstrikes on ISIL's command and training centers are long overdue. With them, the space for these terrorists to operate will shrink. An effective campaign to destroy ISIL can't be limited to one side of the border between Iraq and Syria. While this initial attack will be a big psychological blow to the terrorist group, an air campaign will need to be major and sustained. The reported participation of Arab allies in the region is welcome. This is their fight as much as ours.

The U.S. Department of Defense put out a statement giving details of the action.

The statement said that the U.S. and its allies used a "mix of fighter, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct 14 strikes against ISIL targets," which were "destroyed or damaged" in the vicinity of Ar Raqqah, Dayr az Zawr, Al Hasakah, and Abu Kama.

The targets included: "ISIL fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks, and armed vehicles."

.@DeptofDefense: U.S. Military, Partner Nations Conduct Airstrikes Against ISIL in Syria https://t.co/zOb5UzEu6D

Attacks near Aleppo targeted the so-called Khorasan group, a smaller collection of fighters which American officials believed posted a more direct threat to the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal quoted a U.S. defense official as saying the U.S. had intelligence that the group was in the "advanced stages of some type of terrorist attack against a European or U.S.-based target."

The intelligence suggested "the imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western interests conducted by a network of seasoned al Qaeda veterans."

US defense official: Syria air strikes against Khorasan sparked by intel militants were in "advanced stages" of attack plan on US or Europe.

No Arab nations took part in the strikes against Khorasan forces, the U.S. military said.

Monitoring organization the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that the strikes killed at least 70 ISIS fighters across 50 targets, Reuters reported.

The targets were in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor and Hasakah provinces in Syria's east.

The Observatory also set that that the U.S. and its allies also killed 50 people in an attack on the separate al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra during airstrikes in Aleppo province.

These strikes were centered on a residential building used by al-Nusra near Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group.

The number of dead includes children and civilians as well as fighters.

Syrian state TV has been broadcasting a number of statements from the country's foreign ministry, the BBC reported.

One said: "Syria supports any international effort that aims at fighting terrorism, whatever the terrorist group – IS [i.e., ISIS], al-Nusra Front or any other one."

Another said: "Syria will also continue fighting IS in Raqqa and other districts and will not stop fighting the group in cooperation with states which are directly harmed, principally Iraq."

Syria said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry informed it of the airstrikes "hours before" they launched.

Syria says it was told via letter from US Secretary of State John Kerry "hours before" air strikes launched http://t.co/4ji2U6RNhW

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told NBC News that the airstrikes are illegal.

.@HassanRouhani tells me U.S bombardment in Syria illegal because not authorized by UN or invited by Syria government unlike fight in Iraq

The U.S. Navy has released footage of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles from the U.S.S. Philippine Sea.

View this video on YouTube

http://U.S. Navy/YouTube / Via youtube.com

This footage purports to show the aftermath of the airstrikes of the Syrian village of Idlib.

View this video on YouTube

Reuters / YouTube / Via youtube.com
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