New York [US], December 9: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US military aircraft carried out airstrikes on more than 75 IS targets in Syria on December 8, including the positions of the organization's commander. The airstrikes were carried out by B-52 bombers, F-15 and A-10 fighter jets.
According to CENTCOM, the attack was carried out to prevent IS from taking advantage of the collapse of the Syrian government to rebuild its forces in central Syria.
US President Joe Biden told the nation on the same day that the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime was "an act of justice, a historic opportunity for a long-suffering people". However, he also warned that this was a time of potential risk and uncertainty "when we all wonder what comes next".
President Biden said he would work with all groups in Syria on a political transition, but warned that some military opposition groups had "dark records of terrorism" that the US needed to reassess. Biden added that the US had noted recent statements from some groups suggesting they had become more moderate. "We will judge not just by their words but by their actions," President Biden stressed, while also pledging to bring home Americans captured in Syria, including freelance journalist and veteran Austin Tice.
In addition, US officials said they are focusing on dealing with the remaining chemical weapons stockpile in Syria and Washington is taking cautious measures on this issue.
The Times of Israel quoted a senior Biden administration official as saying the US was working with its Middle Eastern allies to destroy chemical weapons that once belonged to the al-Assad regime. The official did not specify which country, but Israel has stepped up attacks on weapons depots in Syria in recent days.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said on December 8 that Israel had carried out airstrikes on weapons depots of the Syrian government and Iran-backed groups in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria, according to AFP.
Rahman noted that attacks on such targets have increased since President al-Assad fled Syria while opposition forces controlled the capital Damascus and major cities. Russian media reported that al -Assad and his family are taking refuge in Moscow.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
