미국과 아랍동맹, 시리아 내 IS 목표 공격 US And Arab Allies Attack IS Targets In Syria VIDEO
[VIDEO]
http://news.sky.com/story/1340471/us-and-arab-allies-attack-is-targets-in-syria
The strikes targeted Islamic State as well as al Qaeda extremists thought to be planning an "imminent attack" against the West.
9:57am UK, Tuesday 23 September 2014
The US and five Arab countries have been carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time.
Fighter jets, bombers and drones as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from US ships in the northern Persian Gulf and the Red Sea were used in the aerial raids.
The strikes form part of the expanded military campaign against IS insurgents which was authorised by President Barack Obama two weeks ago.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar were involved in the raids, a US official said, although their exact roles were unclear. The strikes did not involve the UK.
Damascus said Washington informed Syria's UN envoy before launching the bombings.
The US also carried out aerial raids on its own in Syria against al Qaeda extremists that were thought to be planning an "imminent attack" against US and western interests.
There were at least 50 airstrikes on IS targets and 20 fighters were killed, according to activists.
They also said 30 fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front group died, along with eight civilians, including children.
The attack sites reportedly included the IS headquarters in the stronghold of Raqqa, weapons supplies, checkpoints and a Syrian army base the insurgents recently seized.
As well as Raqqa, there were strikes on Deir al Zor, Tabqa, Ein Issa, Idlib and Tal Abyad near Turkey, activists claimed.
US military officials said targets including militants' command and control centres, re-supply facilities, training camps and other key logistical sites were expected to be hit.
Residents in Raqqa had said last week that IS was moving underground after Mr Obama signalled on September 11 that air attacks on its forces could be expanded from Iraq to Syria.
The group had evacuated buildings it was using as offices, redeployed its heavy weaponry, and moved fighters' families out of the city, the residents said.
The strikes follow a summit of world leaders in Paris where agreement was reached to form a broad coalition to counter the advance of IS in Syria and to provide military aid to Iraq to fight the extremist network.
Military leaders have said about two thirds of the estimated 31,000 IS militants are in Syria.
International efforts to combat the group, who have grabbed swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, have taken on an added urgency after the beheading of two US journalists and British aid worker David Haines, and the threat to kill UK hostage Alan Henning.
The US action comes four days after France destroyed an IS logistics depot in its first airstrikes against the militant group in Iraq.
Meanwhile, a second propaganda video of British hostage John Cantlie has been released by IS.
Speaking to the camera and seemingly under duress, he addresses the coalition of states targeting the group, though it is not clear when the video was filmed.
"Everyone now is getting involved," he said. "Denmark and France have sent air power, Britain is arming the Kurds, Iran is sending troops and contractors are being sought in Iraq.
"Even Bashar al Assad, until earlier this year the most hated and villainised tyrant in the Arab world, is being approached for permission to go into Syria.
"It's all quite a circus. Not since Vietnam have we witnessed such a potential mess in the making."
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