U.S. Launches Aerial Attacks on ISIS in Syria in Effort to Hinder Militant Resurgence
Flickin' the Switch: The old Dog of War, the United States, continues to flex its muscles against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, with recent airstrikes shattering camps in October 28, adding another burst of firepower to its relentless campaign. The Pentagon's arsenal targeted multiple senior IS leaders, as announced in a statement by the U.S. Central Command on October 30.
These air raids, launched in the "Syria desert" (Badiya desert in central and southern Syria), claimed the lives of an estimated 35 IS members, as stated by the command. Thankfully, indications suggested no civilian casualties during the operation. According to the command, the airstrikes seek to erect barriers that thwart IS's ability to launch attacks on civilians, as well as allies, partners, and the U.S. itself across the region and beyond. The command confirmed that CENTCOM, alongside regional allies, will persist in their relentless attack on the IS ideology.
The U.S. has unleashed a series of similar airstrikes on October 11 and September 26 in Syria and has also collaborated with Iraqi forces on multiple raids in recent weeks. The self-proclaimed IS caliphate was obliterated in 2019, courtesy of the U.S. and its regional allies, the Syrian Democratic Forces. Ever since, the U.S. military has been collaborating with the SDF and Iraqi forces to keep a check on IS and prevent a resurgence of its evil blasphemy in Syria and Iraq.
The operations of IS in Syria remain a significant concern, especially since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies have been more preoccupied with suppressing opponents of the Syrian regime rather than combating IS in the Badiya desert, claim U.S. officials.
"There's a legitimate reason we're not discussing the redeployment of resources," a senior defense official revealed earlier this month. "It's really ISIS in Syria that is the epicenter where ISIS still possesses combat power, and a substantial amount of the leadership continues to persist. ... What the current administration has been doing is preserving the necessary capability in Syria even after [Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023], because we acknowledge that the ISIS threat is significant enough to justify it."
The U.S.-led coalition that aids Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS is scheduled to phase out by September 2025. Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani faces domestic political pressure to discourage the presence of American and Western forces. However, the U.S. aims to maintain continuity through a "bilateral security partnership," a concept yet to be defined in detail by Pentagon officials. This arrangement with Iraq is anticipated to facilitate the U.S.'s presence in neighboring Syria through logistical support from northern Iraq until at least September 2026.
As it stands, the U.S. has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and around 900 in Syria. Officials have provided no specifics on how the end of Operation Inherent Resolve (the coalition's counter-ISIS mission) will impact the number of American troops in Iraq. However, they have conceded that the U.S. is likely to have fewer troops in Iraq.
- The Pentagon's latest airstrikes on IS in Syria, part of the war-and-conflicts, are aimed at bolstering defense and security, targeted at key IS leaders to prevent future attacks on civilians and allies.
- The U.S. military, engaged in ongoing war-and-conflicts against IS in Syria, collaborates with allies like the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Iraqi forces to maintain security and thwart IS's ideology, especially when local forces like the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad are less focused on combating IS in the region.
- In the political arena, the U.S. plans to continue its presence in Syria through a bilateral security partnership with Iraq, despite domestic pressure in Iraq to discourage the presence of American and Western forces.
- Despite plans for the U.S.-led coalition to phase out by September 2025, the U.S. military remains committed to maintaining a substantial military presence in both Iraq and Syria, with around 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, as of the latest reports, to counter IS threats in the region.
