Going beyond Iraq’s borders to battle ISIL represents a major escalation in the U.S. fight. U.S. launches airstrikes in Syria

The United States has expanded its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant beyond the borders of Iraq and into Syria, launching strikes with fighter jets, bombers and Tomahawk missiles, the Pentagon confirmed Monday night.

The U.S. and partner nations “are undertaking military action” against the Islamic militant group in Syria, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement. “The decision to conduct these strikes was made earlier today by the U.S. Central Command commander under authorization granted him by the commander in chief.”


The U.S. Central Command, in a statement early Tuesday morning, said Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain participated in the new airstrikes. The United States was the only Western nation involved, a U.S. official said earlier.

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“The strikes destroyed or damaged multiple ISIL targets in the vicinity of Ar Raqqah, Dayr az Zawr, Al Hasakah, and Abu Kamal and included ISIL fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles,” the Central Command said. “All aircraft safely exited the strike areas.”

Earlier, the U.S. official said the first night was likely to be the most intense night of strikes in Syria.

Separately, the Central Command said, the U.S. took unilateral action in Syria to “disrupt imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western interests” to be carried out by the Al Qaeda-linked Khorasan Group, which has also established a safe haven in Syria.

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“In total, U.S. Central Command conducted eight strikes against Khorasan Group targets west of Aleppo to include training camps, an explosives and munitions production facility, a communication building and command and control facilities,” the Central Command said in a statement early Tuesday morning.

Going beyond Iraq’s borders to battle ISIL represents a major escalation in the U.S. fight against the terror group, which has released a series of videos in recent weeks showing the beheadings of two U.S. journalists and a British aid worker.

The expansion was highly anticipated after President Barack Obama said in a speech earlier this month that he would “not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq.” On Tuesday, he heads to the United Nations in New York to round up more international support in the U.S.-led fight against ISIL.

Still, the move into Syria comes with risk and involves significantly more complexity.

In Iraq, the U.S. Central Command has conducted more than 190 strikes against ISIL with the backing of the Iraqi government. In Syria, the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad has warned the United States not to conduct airstrikes without its consent.

Syria has air defense systems that could pose a threat to U.S. aircraft.

In addition, the airstrikes could indirectly help Assad’s regime, which is also fighting ISIL. The U.S. has said it will not work with Assad to battle the Islamic militant group but is also not attempting to help rebel groups battle Assad’s forces.

The airstrikes in Syria mark a new phase in the U.S. military campaign against ISIL, which began a month ago with strikes in Iraq designed to stop ISIL’s advances. The air campaign has expanded to other targets across Iraq, such as helping Iraqi and Kurdish forces retake the Mosul Dam.

While the White House has acknowledged it is at war with ISIL — comparing it to the years-long war against Al Qaeda — the president has vowed that U.S. combat forces will not head to Iraq or Syria to battle ISIL.

The administration has pushed its allies to help with its campaign, saying last week that more than 40 countries had joined a coalition against ISIL.

The airstrikes in Syria come less than a week after Congress approved new authority for the administration to begin training and equipping moderate Syrian rebel groups to fight the Islamic militant group.

The president spoke by phone Monday evening with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), according to House aides.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel notified House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), and Vice President Joe Biden briefed Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), aides said.

Initial congressional reaction to the airstrikes backed the president.

“To defeat ISIS, we must cut off the head of the snake, which exists in Syria,” House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement. “I support the administration’s move to conduct airstrikes against ISIS wherever it exists”

And Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said on Twitter that “all Americans must stand w/ Pres Obama in our war against ISIS — particularly tonight’s air strikes in Syria.”