ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday that its air forces targeted Islamic State (ISIS) positions in Syria earlier in the week, killing 35 suspected operatives of the group. CENTCOM said in a statement that the raids were carried out on Monday evening against several ISIS camps in the Syrian desert, adding that the strikes also targeted senior ISIS leaders. “There are no indications of civilian casualties,” it noted. ISIS rose to power and seized swathes of Iraqi and Syrian land amid a brazen offensive in 2014, declaring a so-called “caliphate”. Though the jihadists no longer control any territory, they continue to pose a security risk by carrying out kidnappings, hit-and-run attacks, and bombings, and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who control Rojava, conduct frequent operations against the group. The SDF has recently carried out several raids against the radical group, arresting many suspected operatives. “The airstrikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians, as well as U.S., allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond. CENTCOM, alongside allies and partners in the region, will continue to aggressively degrade ISIS operational capabilities to ensure its enduring defeat,” US army said in the statement.
