The U.S. and Israel conducted dozens of airstrikes Sunday on targets in Syria following the dramatic collapse of the ruling Assad regime and amid concerns radical and terrorist groups could exploit Syria’s current situation.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it hit over 75 “known [Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham] ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria” using precision airstrikes.
CENTCOM added that it struck the targets to “disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS” and render it incapable of exploiting the nation’s current state to regroup in central Syria.
There was no indication of civilian deaths from the strikes, CENTCOM noted.
“There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria,” CENTCOM’s commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla, said. “All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way.” (RELATED: US Kills Dozens Of Terrorists With Airstrikes Abroad)
Referencing the airstrikes from the White House, President Joe Biden remarked, “We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum, to reestablish its capabilities, to create a safe haven. We will not let that happen.”
Join me as I deliver remarks on the latest developments in Syria. https://t.co/mun5CjRiSs
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2024
Biden also stated the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year-old regime was “a fundamental act of justice,” given the hundreds of thousands tortured and killed by the regime. It was also “a moment of historic opportunity for the longsuffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country.” (RELATED: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad Flees To Russia After Losing Grip On Power)
The regime’s collapse presented “a moment of risk and uncertainty,” Biden added. He said the U.S. would work with regional allies and stakeholders in Syria to mitigate the risk and with the United Nations (UN) to establish a transition toward an independent, sovereign Syria with a new constitution.
In addition to the military actions by the U.S., suspected Israeli airstrikes also hit multiple targets in southern and southwest Syria. The strikes hit ammunition and weapons depots at an airbase in Suwayda in southern Syria as well as several areas in the Daraa Governorate and Syria’s capital city of Damascus, according to The Times of Israel.
The targets in Damascus included an airbase, a major security complex, a branch of the state-owned military research institute and a central square where Syria’s intelligence and customs headquarters are located, the outlet reported.
Syrian forces left behind a large cache of rockets and missiles in the airbase in Suwayda as they abandoned the base overnight, according to Reuters. The airstrikes reportedly appeared to be preemptive, to prevent the weaponry from falling into the wrong hands.
“We have to take action against possible threats,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned.
Israel, however, did not confirm the strikes, Reuters reported.
This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers.
We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the… pic.twitter.com/yJZE3AZZJn
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) December 8, 2024
The Syrian army’s abandonment of its positions in the country spelled the collapse of the 50-year-old Separation of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria and necessitated the “temporary” takeover of the positions by Israeli forces lest hostile forces occupy them, Netanyahu added.
“We emphasize that the [Israel Defense Forces] is not interfering with the internal events in Syria,” the IDF said.
The IDF also announced it helped repel an attack by “armed individuals” on a UN post in Hader, a village in southern Syria.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
