US military forces conducted aerial operations against Islamic State positions in Syria on Sunday, targeting more than 75 strategic locations. The operation involved multiple aircraft types from the US Air Force fleet.
In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces said that the strikes were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat Isis, to prevent them from conducting external operations. This is also done to prevent Isis to take the advantage of the current situation in Syria.
“The operation struck over 75 targets using multiple U.S. Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s.Battle damage assessments are underway, and there are no indications of civilian casualties,” the statement read.
“CENTCOM, together with allies and partners in the region, will continue to carry out operations to degrade Isis operational capabilities even during this dynamic period in Syria,” it added.
General Michael Erik Kurilla after the operation said that they will never allow Isis to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria.
“All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support Isis in any way,” he added.
‘Historic opportunity for Syrians’
US President Joe Biden called the sudden collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria a “fundamental act of justice” on Sunday, claiming the country was suffering under Assad and his family.
However, he cautioned that this was also “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Middle East.
Biden addressed the nation from the White House just hours after rebel groups completed their takeover of Syria, marking the end of over a decade of violent civil war. The president confirmed that the United States was closely monitoring reports suggesting that Assad, whose whereabouts remain unknown with reports indicating that he has taken refuge in Russia.
Biden credited the efforts of the United States and its allies in undermining Assad’s backers, including Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.“Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said while emphasising that the allies could no longer support Assad’s grip on power.
Biden claimed that the Assad regime was responsible for the deaths, torture, and brutality against numerous Syrian civilians during the past fifty years. He further went to say that the end of the government now presents a significant chance for Syria’s population to rebuild.”
After 13 years of civil war in Syria and more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office and flee the country. We’re not sure where he is, but there’s word that he’s in Moscow. At long last, the Assad regime has fallen,” Biden said.
“This regime brutalised, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” he added.
What is happening in Syria?
Syrian rebels announced they had taken full control of the crucial city of Homs early on Sunday after just one day of fighting, further threatening President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule as insurgents advanced on the capital, Damascus.
As the army withdrew, thousands of Homs residents filled the streets, celebrating with chants of “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria, down with Bashar al-Assad.”
Rebels fired into the air in triumph, while youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, marking a dramatic week-long collapse of Assad’s territorial control.