US Air Force (Image: SYRIA)
US forces have unleashed a wave of strikes against ISIS targets in Syria killing or capturing more than 50 terrorists. The Middle Eastern country is still a hotbed for Islamic extremism despite the death cult being defeated militarily by British, American and Kurdish-led regional forces six years ago.
Simmering sympathies for ISIS have bubbled back to the surface in recent months since the new government led by a former al-Qaeda fighter seized power in Damascus around a year ago. Syria is home to tens of thousands of former jihadis who have been held in detention camps guarded by the ethnic Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Force (SDF).
But in the past month many of the camps have been seized by Damascus forces, some of whom it’s feared have fundamentalist sympathies. Al-Hol, the largest ISIS camp in the world with 30,000 inmates, was seized from the SDF last month by government forces who entered to a joyous reception from those held there. The US military in the region, CENTCOM, said it was transporting 7,000 ISIS prisoners from Syria into neighbouring Iraq as tensions between the Damascus-led forces and SDF increased in recent weeks, only abated in the past few days by a new ceasefire.
CENTCOM, which still has control over several American bases in north east Syria, said it carried out five strikes against ISIS targets from January 27 up until this week on February 2.
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Elements sympathetic to ISIS are still rife in Syria (Image: Getty )
In a statement it said Operation Hawkeye Strike was in response to the December 13 ambush attack on US forces close to the historic site of Palmyra, in central Syria, which left two American service members dead, as well as an American interpreter.
CENTCOM said after nearly two months of targeted operations, more than 50 ISIS terrorists have been killed or captured, including extremist leader, Bilal Hasan al-Jasim
“Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria,” a statement said.
Hawkeye Strike, resulted in US and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions. The US military carried out the attacks using fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft.
Apache attack helicopters have been used in the strikes against extremists (Image: Getty )
Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said: “The death of a terrorist operative linked the death of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces.
“There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”
He added: “Striking these targets demonstrates our continued focus and resolve for preventing an ISIS resurgence in Syria.
“Operating in coordination with coalition and partner forces to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS makes America, the region and the world safer.”
In a previous statement to Express.co.uk, CENTCOM said 150 ISIS fighters had been successfully transported from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq.
It added: “Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities.”