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Pentagon: US Syria Raids Also Aimed at Thwarting Attack Plot
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 06:04 AM
US forces who bombed Islamic State jihadists in Syria also targeted a separate extremist group plotting an imminent attack against US and Western forces, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
Arab allies Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates took part in the strikes, it added.
Eight US air strikes were aimed at the hardline Khorasan Group which is made up of experienced Al-Qaeda operatives, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"The United States has also taken action to disrupt the imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western interests conducted by a network of seasoned Al-Qaeda veterans -- sometimes referred to as the Khorasan Group -- who have established a safe haven in Syria to develop external attacks, construct and test improvised explosive devices and recruit Westerners to conduct operations," the statement said.
"All aircraft safely exited the strike areas," it added.
The US military used fighter jets as well as remotely piloted aircraft and Tomahawk missiles to conduct 14 strikes against IS, also known as ISIL.
"The strikes destroyed or damaged multiple ISIL targets... and included ISIL fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles," the statement said.
A total of 47 Tomahawk missiles were fired by US ships in the Red Sea and and the North Arabian Gulf.
The Khorasan group that was targetted separately is linked to the Al-Nusra Front, which is the Syrian affiliate of Al-Qaeda.
