The US military struck several Islamic State group camps in Syria this week, killing up to 35 militants, US Central Command said on Wednesday.
The airstrikes in the central Syrian desert took place Monday evening and targeted several sites and senior leaders of the group. These attacks follow several joint operations with Iraqi forces targeting IS militants in Iraq.
Wednesday’s announcement marked a continuation of a dramatic increase in attacks and raids against ISIS suspects in Syria and Iraq, according to CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D’Agata. Two US service members were injured in another joint raid in Iraq last week.
Pentagon officials said the Islamic State group remains a threat in the region, but is no longer as powerful as it was a decade ago, when the militants invaded Iraq and Syria, taking over control of large areas of both countries.
US Central Command said the latest strikes in Syria would disrupt the group’s ability to plan, organize and carry out attacks against civilians and US and allied forces in the region.
“CENTCOM, alongside its allies and partners in the region, will continue to aggressively degrade ISIS operational capabilities to ensure its lasting defeat,” the military organization said in a statement published on X.
CENTCOM said there was no indication of civilian casualties in the strikes.
