US conducts ‘near continuous’ strikes against Islamic State in Syria
Air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria by the US and its Arab allies were ongoing, as three European governments agree to deploy military jets against the jihadists in Iraq
The US-led coalition widened its air strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Saturday as part of “near continuous” raids against the jihadists.
The expanded operations in Syria by Washington and its Arab allies came after three more European governments deployed fighter jets for strikes against IS in Iraq, freeing up US air power.
Belgium, Britain and Denmark approved plans to join France and the Netherlands in carrying out air raids against the militants in Iraq, allowing Washington to focus on the more complex operation in neighbouring Syria, where IS has set up its headquarters.
But Washington warned that the jihadists could not be defeated in Syria by air strikes alone, saying that up to 15,000 “moderate” rebels would need to be trained and armed to beat them back.
The US-led coalition hit IS targets in Syria’s central province of Homs for the first time on Saturday as well as in the town of Minbej, near the western limit of IS control, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the targets hit in Homs province were far away from the front line in fighting involving forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad who control Homs city, Syria’s third largest.
