The US military unleashed a wave of precision airstrikes Sunday against more than 75 ISIS positions in central Syria. These strikes were part of a broader operation that came after the dramatic collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government following a successful offensive by rebel forces.
The airstrikes, conducted by US Central Command (Centcom), have been intended to cripple ISIS’s operations and prevent it from rebuilding in the chaos following Assad’s downfall. The operation saw the employment of B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets, and A-10 attack aircraft to bomb ISIS leaders, operatives, and training camps in central Syria.
A senior U.S. official described the operation as “significant”, noting that about 140 munitions were deployed during the strikes. Centcom is said to be evaluating the effects brought by the airstrikes. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who commands Centcom, explained that the US would press forward its endeavors to not permit ISIS to regain any further influence in the area.
“There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria,” Kurilla told the gathering. All those organizations will be accountable in Syria for any support or partnership with ISIS.
Syrian Rebels Capture Damascus
The airstrikes took place following a surprise offensive launched by rebel forces opposed to the Syrian government in late November. Led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — a group that has origins in Al-Qaeda but distanced itself from the network of extremists — these rebel forces captured several cities including Aleppo, Hama and Homs before advancing and taking control of the capital city of Syria, Damascus, on Sunday morning.
The fall of Damascus put a close to Assad’s reign of 13 years of massacre of peaceful demonstrators in the streets of Damascus and Aleppo in 2011 that escalated into civil war with the government crumbling down Russian state media reported Bashar al-Assad had fled to Moscow where he was given political asylum.
Biden Defends Against Ongoing Attacks By ISIS
Following the strikes, the US President, Joe Biden, spoke to the public with regard to the situation confirming that the US had held airstrikes targeting ISIS camps and operatives. He said further that ISIS would try their best to take advantage of the power vacuum left if Assad were removed. “We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to re-establish its capability to create a safe haven,” Biden stated, underscoring the US commitment to preventing such an outcome.
The US maintains a presence of around 900 troops in Syria, focused on counterterrorism efforts against ISIS. Biden assured that US forces would continue their missions in the region despite the dramatic changes in Syria’s political landscape.
Biden also stated that the US will stand behind Syria’s neighbors—Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Israel—if threats come out of Syria during this transition period. The US has been working with local forces in Syria and Iraq for years to defeat ISIS; many operations have been conducted in the last few months to break up the network of the terror group.
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