The US and five of its Middle Eastern allies have for the first time launched joint air raids against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.
The assault, which included up to 14 aerial strikes, began early Monday morning and targeted the strongholds of the Jihadist group in Syria and Iraq.
According to a US military communiqué, the airstrikes involved drones, Tomahawk missiles and B1 bombers. About 20 ISIS fighters and 6 civilians are also believed to have been killed during the raid.
According to the Associated Press, the US informed the Syrian government of the airstrikes through the country's envoy to the UN. The reports also indicate that the US did not ask for President Bashar Assad's permission to enter Syria's airspace, but merely informed his office of the plan to strike the terrorist group's facilities.
The strike, which is the first US air raid in Syria, is part of President Obama's new plan to defeat the Islamist group. Reports indicate that the US military has launched about 190 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq since August.
Earlier in the month, the US and its allies in the region - Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and UAE - agreed to jointly fund a military campaign aimed at defeating the Sunni jihadists who have been described as the wealthiest terrorist organization in recent history.
The alliance has unveiled plans of funding and training some 5, 000 moderate Syrian rebels to combat the ravaging ISIS forces. Last week, Obama signed a bill into law that allocates about $500 million to fund the rebels opposed to the Assad regime.
The jihadist's have since vowed revenge attacks on the US and its allies for yesterday's airstrikes, which were launched on its bases in Syrian cities of Deir al-Zor, Raqqa, Hasakah and Aibu Kamal.
The air assault is reported to have also targeted an al-Qaeda cell known as the Al Nusra Front. Intelligence reports indicate terrorists from this group are planning attacks against the US and her allies from the Syrian city of Aleppo.
ISIS currently exerts control over large parts of Syria and Northern Iraq. The group has sought to enforce a strict form of Islam in all the territories under its jurisdiction.
CIA reports estimate that the oil rich militants, known for their brutality and mass executions of ethnic and religious minorities, could have up to 31,000 fighters.
The gruesome activities of this group, who are bent on forming a caliphate, has forced thousands to flee to neighboring Turkey, raising more safety and humanitarian concerns.
