The U.S. and
Arab strikes on militant targets in Syria overnight were 'only the
beginning' of a 'credible and sustainable, persistent' coalition effort
to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS militants and other extremist
groups, the American military has said.
The
airstrikes - which employed U.S. Tomahawk missiles, B1 bombers, F16,
F18 and F22 strike fighters and drones - was backed by support from
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the UAE - a coalition of
nations that has agreed to assist with the destruction of ISIS.
There
was also a separate U.S. attack on a different band of Islamist
militants in Syria - the mysterious Al Qaeda-affiliated Khorasan Group,
who are said to have been planning an 'imminent attack' on a Western
target.
'I
can tell you that last night's strikes were only the beginning,' Rear
Admiral John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters. He said the
strikes had been 'very successful' and would continue, without going
into further detail on future operational plans.
Another
military spokesman, Lieutenant General William Mayville Jr., said that
Arab nations - including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and the United
Arab Emirates - took part in the second and third waves of attacks. He
said the Arab countries' actions ranged from combat air patrols to
strikes on targets.
Earlier
U.S. President Barack Obama said the participation of the five Arab
nations 'makes it clear to the world this is not America's fight alone.'
Scroll down for videos
Pinpoint:
An ISIS vehicle storage area near Abu Kamel in Syria is destroyed by
satellite guided munitions in the this video released by the Pentagon
Reduced to rubble: The remains of the vehicle storage area are scene in this image after the smoke has cleared
Levelled: A storage facility near Abu Kamel in Syria was also destroyed in the first round of U.S. strikes
Heartland: The airstrikes were centred around ISIS's centre of power in Raqqah and across the middle of Syria
Cluster
bombs: An in-flight camera shows satellite guided cluster bombs
destroying an ISIS vehicle staging post near Abu Kamel last night
Joint strikes:
Aircraft from the Saudi Arabian air force were among those in the
coalition supporting the airstrikes. A burning ISIS storage facility is
seen near the town of Abu Kamel
Damaged: This
Pentagon image (before air strike left, and after on the right) shows
the damage inflicted on a ISIS Finance center in Raqqa, Syria after it
was hit by a tomahawk missile
Destroyed: This
Pentagon image shows an ISIS barracks near the city of Raqqa in Syria.
The image on the right shows it after it was hit by F22 Raptors in the
first combat role for the aircraft
Rubble: Syrians check a damaged house,
reportedly hit by US-led coalition air strikes, in the village of Kfar
Derian in the western Aleppo province
Destroyed: The remains of a house in a village near Aleppo are inspected after being
Speech: At a press conference this
afternoon, Lieutenant General William Mayville Jr. said that Arab
nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab
Emirates, took part in the second and third waves of attacks in Islamic
State targets
Attack: The U.S. has released footage
of Tomahawk missiles being fired from the USS Arleigh Burke - a guided
missile destroyer stationed in the Red Sea
Blast: Video emerged early this
morning on Syrian Facebook pages showing the US-led airstrikes in Syria
against Islamic State targets in and around the city of Raqqa
Fire: The attacks - described as 'shock without awe' - began in the early hours of this morning local time
Flash: A Tomahawk missile is fired from the USS Arleigh Burke warship towards ISIS targets in Syria
Plans: Sailors stand watch on the
bridge of USS Philippine Sea while Tomahawk cruise missiles are launched
from the guided-missile cruiser towards ISIS targets in northern Syria
Pride: In a press
conference this afternoon, U.S. President Barack Obama said the
participation of five Arab nations in airstrikes against ISIS and Al
Qaeda militants in Syria made it clear to the world 'this is not
America's fight alone.' He added that the U.S. is 'proud to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder' with the Arab nations
Speaking
a press conference just hours after the overnight raids, Obama said the
joint fight against ISIS will take time - but remains vital to the
security of the United States, the Middle East and the rest of the
world.
He
said it was not possible to know how long U.S.-led operations against
Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq will last. In a letter to
Congress following the air strikes, Obama said: 'It is not possible to
know the duration of these deployments and operations.
'I
will continue to direct such additional measures as necessary to protect
and secure U.S. citizens and our interests against the threat posed by
ISIL,' using another name for Islamic State.
He added that the U.S. is 'proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder' with the Arab nations in conducting the strikes.
Obama's
comments came after America's top military officer Army General Martin
Dempsey said the overnight airstrikes will have successfully shown the
terror group that its attacks will not go unanswered, and that even
strongholds such as the city of Raqqa do not represent a 'safe haven'.
Air
strikes were launched from land bases in the Middle East, while the
F18s were launched from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which
is in the Persian Gulf.
Tomahawks were fired from the USS Arleigh Burke, a guided missile destroyer in the Red Sea.
The
first wave of strikes lasted for 90 minutes and one video on social
media showed blasts across Raqqa - the de facto capital of the Islamic
state.
Among
the targets which reports from social media claimed had been hit were
the house of the governor of Raqqa, the national hospital and the
Equestrian Club.
One
account said at least 20 of the militant group's fighters had been
killed in the strikes, with other sources saying 'dozens' were dead.
Separate
ISIS targets were hit in Deir al-Zor province in the north of Syria,
where the terrorist group has also gained vast swaths of territory.
'We
wanted to make sure that ISIL knew they have no safe haven, and we
certainly achieved that,' Army General. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview with American reporters.
ISIL is an alternate acronym for ISIS commonly used by U.S. officials.
America
said five Arab nations either participated in the airstrikes or
provided unspecified support. They were Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain,
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Operation: The
airstrikes were part of a huge coordinated effort to destroy ISIS
targets from the air and sea. The U.S. also carried out separate hits on
a mysterious group of militants many consider an even greater threat to
the West - a little known band of 'seasoned Al Qaeda veterans' known as
the Khorasan Group
Awaiting orders: An F/A-18E Super
Hornet and an F/A-18F Super Hornet prepare to launch from the flight
deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush
Ready: An F/A-18C Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush
Littered: A man inspects the remains
of what Islamist State militants say was a U.S. drone which crashed into
a communication tower in Raqqa overnight
Syrian President Bashar Assad pictured
meeting with Faleh al-Fayyad - the Iraqi National Security Advisor and
envoy of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi - today
Conference: Syrian President Bashar Assad in conversation with Faleh al-Fayyad - the Iraqi National Security Advisor
Dempsey
said the role of the five Arab nations in the airstrikes was
indispensable to the U.S. goal of showing that the battle to degrade and
defeat the Islamic State group is not just a U.S. fight.
'I
can't overstate' the importance of the Arab role, he said, calling it
an unprecedented coalition with Arab states and said the partnering has
set the stage for a broader international campaign against the
extremists.
Dempsey
said the five Arab nations' agreement to join in the airstrikes came
together quickly; as recently as Sunday but did not specify exactly what
role each nation played overnight.
He
told reporters that more Arab participation was needed before President
Barack Obama would sign off on the strategic air campaign.
The
U.S. also carried out separate airstrikes against Al Qaeda-affiliated
extremists Khorasan in Aleppo and Idlib, following intelligence that the
group were planning an 'imminent attack' against Western interests.
The U.S. said at least 30 fighters died, along with eight civilians, including children, in Aleppo and Idlib.
Khorasan
are a totally separate group to ISIS and, although little is known of
their origins, they are understood to be made up of 'seasoned al Qaeda
veterans'.
Lieutenant
General William Mayville, the Pentagon's director of operations, said
Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from U.S. warships in the region were
used to hit the group's compounds, workshops and training grounds around
the city of Aleppo.
'Intelligence
reports indicated that the Khorasan Group was in the final stages of
plans to execute attacks against Western targets and potentially the
U.S. homeland,' he said.
It
is understood that the group's aim is not to fight against Syrian
president Bashar al-Assad, nor does it hope to acquire vast swaths of
land like ISIS.
Instead
Khorasan targets the thousands of young Western Muslims who have
travelled to fight in Syria in recent months - many of whom have
retained their passports and have made the journey without the knowledge
of their home governments.
Khorasan's
plan is to recruit and train this fighters not to carry out attacks in
the Middle East, but to return to their home countries and commit
catastrophic acts of terror there. It is understood that once such
attack was 'imminent' which led to the U.S. targeting the group in air
strikes overnight.
James
Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, said: 'In terms of
threat to the homeland, Khorasan may pose as much of a danger as the
Islamic State.'
Destroyed: People
inspect a shop damaged after a U.S. drone crashed into a communication
station in Raqqa in the early hours of this morning, according to ISIS
fighters
Debris: A van loaded with the remains of the alleged U.S. drone is seen inside the city of Raqqa this morning
The remains of the alleged drone was packed with wires and circuit boards with English-language safety labels
Analysis: ISIS fighters (left) load parts of the alleged U.S drone they say crashed in Raqqa last night into a van
Pentagon
press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said the decision to launch the
strikes was made on Monday, only hours before US Air Force and Navy
pilots were given their missions and targets.
Kirby
said the strikes were ordered by Army General Lloyd Austin, the
commander of US forces in the Middle East and South Asia 'under
authorisation granted to him by the commander in chief'.
The
first strikes began around 8:30 p.m. EDT - 1.30am in the UK and 4.30am
in Syria - but the operation was expected to continue for several more
hours, according to one U.S. official.
This
morning British Prime Minister David Cameron released a statement
saying he supported the strikes against ISIS by the U.S. and allies, and
will now discuss what contribution the UK can make.
Kirby
did not name the partner nations participating in the operation but
they are now known to be the five Gulf nations and Jordan.
All of them are majority Sunni, the same branch of Islam as ISIS. Britain and France were not involved in the strikes.
Official: Kirby said the military and
its partners are attacking with a mix of fighter jets, bombers and
Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from ships in the region
Crashed: An ISIS militant holds a
piece of what the group claims is a US drone that fell to earth after
colliding with a communications tower in Raqqa early this morning
ISIS fighters pray at the spot where the jihadist group said a US drone crashed into a communications tower
Target: With the
aid of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the U.S.
chose to strike the ISIS-held Syrian city of Raqqa (pictured) first late
Monday and into Tuesday
Propaganda: News of the airstrikes
came as ISIS released a second video (pictured) featuring British
hostage John Cantlie in which he criticises preparations for U.S-led
attacks on them
Second release: In the five-minute
scripted video, Cantlie suggests Barack Obama, long careful to avoid the
sort of conflicts his predecessor George Bush pursued, is being sucked
into an 'unwinnable war'
News
of the airstrikes comes as ISIS' highly-organized press office released
a second propaganda video appearing to feature captured British hostage
John Cantlie.
The
journalist - wearing a Guantanamo Bay-style orange jumpsuit - is filmed
questioning America's preparation for attacks on ISIS, and compares the
'unwinnable' conflict to the Vietnam War.
In
the five-minute scripted video, Cantlie suggests Barack Obama, long
careful to avoid the sort of conflicts his predecessor George Bush
pursued, is being sucked into an 'unwinnable war'.
'The
president once called George Bush's Iraq conflict a 'dumb war', and
couldn't wait to distance America from it when he came into power. Now
he's being inextricably drawn back in,' Cantlie says.
Military
officials have said the U.S. would target militants' command and
control centers, re-supply facilities, training camps and other key
logistical sites.
An
anti-militant media collective called 'Raqqa is being silently
slaughtered' said among the targets were Islamic State buildings used as
the group's headquarters, and the Brigade 93, a Syrian army base that
the militants recently seized.
Other
airstrikes targeted the town of Tabqa and Tel Abyad in Raqqa province,
it said. Their claims could not be independently verified.
According to ABC News' Luis Martinez, the stealth F-22 Raptor fighter jet saw its first combat ever with the Raqqa strikes.
The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad was said to have been 'informed' of the strikes, but not asked for authorisation.
Syria's
Foreign Ministry told the Associated Press that the U.S. informed
Syria's envoy to the U.N. that 'strikes will be launched against the
terrorist Daesh group in Raqqa'.
Daesh is a name for ISIS used by many Arabic-speaking media organisations.
Former Delta Force officer James Reese told CNN:
'This is the punch in the nose to the bully that we talked about on the
playground. ISIS is the bully, and we just punched him in the nose.'
'We
will be prepared to strike ISIL targets in Syria that degrade ISIL's
capabilities,' Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, told senators last week, using one of the acronyms for the
Islamic State group. 'This won't look like a shock-and-awe campaign,
because that's simply not how ISIL is organized, but it will be a
persistent and sustainable campaign.
Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel said that the plan 'includes targeted actions
against ISIL safe havens in Syria, including its command and control
logistics capabilities and infrastructure.' He said he and Dempsey
approved the plan.
The
U.S. has also been increasing its surveillance flights over Syria,
getting better intelligent on potential targets and militant movements.
Rolling out the Raptor: According to
reports, the $139million F-22 stealth fighter jet saw combat for the
first time ever during the strikes over Raqqa. Two of the jets are
pictured here, over Guam
The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush
is pictured here. It is currently in the Persian Gulf and may have been a
launching point for some of the aircraft that struck at Syria on Monday
(FILE)
Tomahawk: Military officials a
revealed that Tomahawk missiles (file photo of the sea-to-land missile
seen here) were being launched at Syrian targets from the Persian Gulf
and Red Sea
Strong presence: Military leaders have
said about two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 Islamic State militants
were in Syria. The U.S. has also been increasing its surveillance
flights over Syria, getting better intelligent on potential targets and
militant movements
Retribution: ISIS (troops pictured
here in Raqqa), meanwhile, has threatened retribution. Its spokesman,
Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, said in a 42-minute audio statement released
Sunday that the fighters were ready to battle the U.S.-led military
coalition and called for attacks at home and abroad
Vowing to stop ISIS: In a speech Sept.
10, Obama vowed to go after the Islamic State militants wherever they
may be. And his military and defense leaders told Congress last week
that airstrikes within Syria are meant to disrupt the group's momentum
and provide time for the U.S. and allies to train and equip moderate
Syrian rebels
LIVE TWEETING SYRIA AIRSTRIKE? RAQQA RESIDENT DESCRIBES 'SKY FULL OF DRONES' AS SYRIANS POST EVIDENCE THE ASSAULT HAS BEGUN
A
Syrian man may have been first to break the news of America and its
partners' air assault on the ISIS-controlled hubs on the Middle Eastern
nation.
According to Vox, Twitter user and resident of Raqqa--where the military says its started the air assault on Syria--Abdulkader Hariri (@3bdUlkaed6r) first started tweeting what he saw some 30 minutes before American news reported the strikes.
Hariri
describes not only manned aircraft, but also drones in his posts. The
U.S. did not mention the use of these unmanned aircraft in its official
announcement of the airstrikes.
Just
after the strikes were to have begun, Syrian activist news agency Step
posted a brief but startling video that purports to show the bombing of
Raqqa.
Military leaders have said about two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 Islamic State militants were in Syria.
In
a speech Sept. 10, Obama vowed to go after the Islamic State militants
wherever they may be. And his military and defense leaders told Congress
last week that airstrikes within Syria are meant to disrupt the group's
momentum and provide time for the U.S. and allies to train and equip
moderate Syrian rebels.
'I
have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our
country, wherever they are,' Obama said. 'That means I will not hesitate
to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core
principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no
safe haven.'
The
U.S. military has been launching targeted airstrikes in Iraq since
August, focusing specifically on attacks to protect U.S. interests and
personnel, assist Iraqi refugees and secure critical infrastructure.
Last week, as part of the newly expanded campaign, the U.S. began going
after militant targets across Iraq, including enemy fighters, outposts,
equipment and weapons.
To date U.S. fighter aircraft, bombers and drones have launched about 190 airstrikes within Iraq.
Urged
on by the White House and U.S. defense and military officials, Congress
passed legislation late last week authorizing the military to arm and
train moderate Syrian rebels. Obama signed the bill into law Friday,
providing $500 million for the U.S. to train about 5,000 rebels over the
next year.
U.S.
leaders have also been crisscrossing the globe trying to build a broad
international coalition of nations, including Arab countries, to go
after the Islamic State group and help train and equip the Iraqi
security forces and the Syrian rebels.
The
militant group, meanwhile, has threatened retribution. Its spokesman,
Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, said in a 42-minute audio statement released
Sunday that the fighters were ready to battle the U.S.-led military
coalition and called for attacks at home and abroad.
Fleeing: Syrians carry their
belongings near the Syrian border Sunday near the southeastern town of
Suruc in Sanliurfa province, Turkey as the Turkish deputy Prime Minister
said some 60,000 Syrian had fled across the border as Islamic State
(IS) militants shelled villages close to the border
Getting desperate: Thousands of
Kurdish men, women and children are pictured carrying their belongings
as they poured into Sanliurfa, on Saturday. ISIS has seized control of
Kurdish regions in the north of the country and intensified their
assault on Kobani, a town in a strategic position along the northern
border
Catalyzing: The beheading American
journalist James Foley and two other Westerners helped catalyze public
fury over the increasing power of ISIS in Syria and elsewhere
Demanding a fight: The beheadings of American Steven Sotloff (left) and David Haines (right) have further enraged Westerners
WILL MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS MAKE OR BREAK THE BATTLE AGAINST ISIS? U.S. OFFICIALS SAY ARAB NATION PARTNERS WILL BE CRITICAL ALLIES
Two
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Arab
participation was essential for Obama as he looked to expand the
American campaign of air strikes to Syria from Iraq, where the U.S.
military has already carried out 190 strikes as of Monday.
Several
Arab countries have offered to join the United States in air strikes
against Islamic State targets, a senior U.S. official told reporters on
Sept. 14.
But
the United States has so far refused to detail which nations have given
private assurances to Washington that they would join in air strikes in
Syria, part of a broader strategy against the Islamic State that
includes training and arming moderate Syrian opposition fighters.
U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said in television
interviews over the weekend that other nations were willing to join air
strikes in Syria.
Vital allies: All the U.S. partners in
the airstrikes against Syria are Middle Eastern nations. They are Saudi
Arabia, the UAE, Jordan and Bahrain. Here, Saudi Foreign Minister
Prince Saud Al-Faisal, second from right, and U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry, left, and their representatives, pause for photos at the end
of their meeting in New York on Monday
'I
will make you a prediction,' Power said on ABC. 'We will not do the air
strikes alone if the president decides to do the air strikes.'
Several
Arab states have powerful air forces, including Saudi Arabia and United
Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, for example, has also already agreed to
host U.S. training of Syrian opposition fighters.
But
many Gulf Arab states have been reluctant to be seen aggressively
joining the U.S. campaign in Iraq and Syria, fearing in some cases
reprisals by extremists or forces loyal to the Syrian government.
The White House last week declined to 'telegraph' when strikes might occur or what preconditions stood in the way.
Obama
will give a speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday to make
the case again for world action against Islamic State.
Powerful air force: Seen here is a Royal Saudi Air Force Panavia Tornado IDS, part of the nation's substantial air fleet
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