The United States military conducted multiple airstrikes on Sunday against ISIS terrorists in central Syria in an effort to prevent the terrorist organization from taking advantage of the turmoil in Syria after Syrian rebels took control of Damascus and forced Syrian President Bashar al-Assad into exile in Russia.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, U.S. Central Command wrote, “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted dozens of precision airstrikes targeting known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria, Dec. 8.”
U.S. Central Command explained that Sunday’s precision airstrikes were conducted against over 75 targets and involved multiple U.S. Air Force assets, including F-15 fighter jets, B-52 bombers, and A-10 aircraft.
“The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, in order to prevent the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria,” U.S. Central Command stated.
U.S. Central Command noted that preliminary battle damage assessments did not indicate any civilian casualties from Sunday’s airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria.
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U.S. officials added, “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.”
General Michael Erik Kurilla, who leads U.S. Central Command, explained that the U.S. military will “not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria.”
Kurilla added, “All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way.”
Addressing the situation in Syria from the White House on Sunday, President Joe Biden said, “After 13 years of civil war in Syria, more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office and flee the country.” Biden added, “At long last, the Assad regime has fallen.”
Biden also confirmed that he ordered the U.S. precision airstrikes against ISIS operatives and camps in Syria.
“We’re clear-eyed about the fact that [ISIS] will try and take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capability and create a safe haven,” Biden stated. “We will not let that happen.”
