The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday that its forces carried out a precision airstrike on Thursday in Syria’s Dayr az Zawr Province, targeting ISIS leader Abu Yusif. The strike successfully eliminated him along with another ISIS operative. This action comes as the U.S. intensifies efforts to prevent the terrorist group’s attempts to liberate 8,000 ISIS operatives currently detained in Syrian jails.
The U.S. military says it has conducted airstrikes targeting a missile storage facility and a command-and-control post operated by Houthis in Yemen after the Iran-backed group struck Israel, injuring dozens of people.
The United States military says it has killed 12 fighters of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, in Syria amid concerns it will carve out a caliphate in central areas of the country.
Israel carried out one of its most intense military campaigns in Syria in over a decade, striking air defense systems, missile depots, and strategic sites in Tartus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described the strikes as the “heaviest in years,” with massive explosions registering as a magnitude 3.0 seismic event. Videos on social media captured fireballs and mushroom clouds lighting up the night sky.
Israel and Jordan held secret talks on Friday to coordinate the situation in Syria, according to three Israeli officials cited by Axios.
Following the ouster of Syria’s despotic President Bashar al-Assad by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamic rebel forces on Sunday, the United States announced it will maintain a presence in the country and take steps to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, Reuters reports.
Israel struck more than 100 targets in Syria in less than 12 hours on Monday, a war monitor said, after the Israeli military admitted it crossed into Syrian territory to protect the Jewish nation amid concerns about chemical weapons.
Israeli Air Force jets struck dozens of targets across Syria on Sunday, neutralizing weaponry at risk of falling into hostile hands amid the rapid collapse of the Assad regime. Israel also secured the Syrian side of Mount Hermon to expand the demilitarized buffer zone and strengthen key defensive positions along the border.
Syria’s 50-year Assad dynasty abruptly ended this weekend when a lightning 10-day rebel offensive overran government-held territory and seized Damascus with little resistance. Bashar al-Assad, who ruled for nearly 25 years, fled by plane to an unknown destination as rebels took the capital.
Israel rushed to send reinforcements to the Golan Heights as they border Syria, where Islamic rebels rapidly gain territory, threatening long-time Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power.
Israel’s military said Friday it had “eliminated” a mastermind of aerial attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, when 1,200 people were killed by Hamas and other air strikes targeting Israeli forces.
As Syria’s army struggles to fend off the surprise insurgency launched last week by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Iran-backed militias entered the country on Sunday to lend support to the Syrian forces, Reuters reports. The insurgents first attacked Syria’s second-largest city of Aleppo and then moved into Idlib and Hama province.
Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon blamed each other for the deadliest clashes since their ceasefire came into effect last week, adding to global fears that the region will remain embroiled in armed conflicts.
Iran has canceled plans to attack Israel following Donald J. Trump’s victory in the recent U.S. presidential elections, Israeli and Iranian officials say.
The Biden administration is moving forward with a $680 million arms package to Israel, including thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits and hundreds of small-diameter bombs, a U.S. official confirmed Wednesday, as reported by the Financial Times.
Israel has approved a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah to end the war in Lebanon, while separately delegates discussed a hostage deal for Gaza.
Several people were wounded Sunday as Hezbollah launched over 250 rockets and drones at northern and central Israel, according to the military and medics. In response to the relentless attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Hezbollah’s command centers in southern Beirut.
The United States has warned the Iraqi government that unless it prevents Iran-backed militants from launching attacks against Israel from Iraq, the Israeli government will soon order air strikes against Iraq, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed to the Knesset that Israel’s October “Days of Repentance” operation destroyed part of Tehran’s nuclear program, despite U.S. calls to avoid such sites. He also stated that the operation weakened Iran’s defense and missile production capabilities and vowed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Israeli fighter jets targeted command centers and terrorist infrastructure linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in Damascus, Syria.