“The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS,” read a statement from the army’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US troops in the Middle East.
“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,” the statement added.
Syria’s civil war dramatically reignited late last month when a coalition of rebels led by the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern city of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and culminating their victory by capturing the capital Damascus as rebels said Bashar al-Assad fled the country, ending over five decades of Baathist rule.
ISIS cells have taken advantage of the chaos in Syria since the start of the escalations and carried out hit-and-run attacks on the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Syrian desert, gaining territories.
In August, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are their “essential” partners in the fight against ISIS.
On Thursday, The SDF warned that it has taken “extensive” measures to respond to potential attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria’s eastern provinces
The CENTCOM statement cited its commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla, as saying, "All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way."
