Assault on ISIS begins: U.S. and partner nations send fighters jets, bombers and Tomahawk missiles into rebel-held Syria

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[h=1]Assault on ISIS begins: U.S. and partner nations send fighters jets, bombers and Tomahawk missiles into rebel-held Syria[/h]

• Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan are aiding with the strikes, starting in the ISIS stronghold city of Raqqa
• General Lloyd Austin, commander of the U.S. military's Central Command, made the decision to conduct the strikes as authorized by Obama
• Obama vowed two weeks ago to stop ISIS after the beheading of Westerners by the Islamic extremists, including two American journalists
• The $139 million F-22 stealth fighter jets saw their first combat ever over Syria
• Tomahawk missiles were launched from the northern Persian Gulf and from the Red Sea

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The U.S. and partner nations launched the first-wave air assault against ISIS in Syria on Monday night using a one-two punch of manned aircraft and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The strikes were part of the expanded military campaign that President Barack Obama's authorized nearly two weeks ago in order to disrupt and destroy the Islamic State militants, who have slaughtered thousands of people, beheaded Westerners, including two American journalists, and captured a large swath of territory stretching from within Syria to land across northern and western Iraq.
Along with partner nations Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, the strikes began in the ISIS stronghold city of Raqqa, reports CNN.

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Assault on ISIS begins: Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby confirmed Monday nightthat the U.S. and partner nations have begun airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State militants

Official: Kirby said the military and its partners are attacking with a mix of fighter jets, bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from ships in the region



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Target: With the aid of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. chose to strike the ISIS-held Syrian city of Raqqa (pictured) first late Monday and into Tuesday

Qatar may also have been involved in the strikes.
The strikes were carried out by Air Force and Navy aircraft, and the Tomahawk missiles were launched from U.S. ships in the northern Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is in the Gulf.
U.S. officials said the airstrikes began around 8:30 p.m. EDT.
The first wave of strikes finished about 90 minutes later, but the operation was expected to continue for several more hours, according to one U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly by name about an ongoing mission.
Kirby said the decision to strike was made earlier Monday by the military.
Kirby did not name the partner nations participating in the operation; however U.S. officials have said the U.S. would not launch this mission alone and some Arab nations had been expected to participate.
'We will provide more details later as operationally appropriate,' Kirby said.
Some of the airstrikes were against Islamic State group targets in Raqqa. Military officials have said the U.S. would target militants' command and control centers, re-supply facilities, training camps and other key logistical sites.

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Rolling out the Raptor: According to reports, the $139million F-22 stealth fighter jet saw combat for the first time ever during the strikes over Raqqa. Two of the jets are pictured here, over Guam

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The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is pictured here. It is currently in the Persian Gulf and may have been a launching point for some of the aircraft that struck at Syria on Monday (FILE)

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Tomahawk: Military officials a revealed that Tomahawk missiles (file photo of the sea-to-land missile seen here) were being launched at Syrian targets from the Persian Gulf and Red Sea



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According to CNN, officials said the the strike hit mostly 'hard targets' like buildings. Former vice-chief of the US Army General Jack Keane told tje BBC the air strikes are 'really quite significant,' though it was still unclear what, precisely, those targets were.
Whatever they were after, the United States did not withhold its biggest, shiniest guns.
According to ABC News' Luis Martinez, the stealth F-22 Raptor fighter jet saw its first combat ever with the Raqqa strikes.
Former Delta Force officer James Reese told CNN: 'This is the punch in the nose to the bully that we talked about on the playground. ISIS is the bully, and we just punched him in the nose.'
'We will be prepared to strike ISIL targets in Syria that degrade ISIL's capabilities,' Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators last week, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State group. 'This won't look like a shock-and-awe campaign, because that's simply not how ISIL is organized, but it will be a persistent and sustainable campaign.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that the plan 'includes targeted actions against ISIL safe havens in Syria, including its command and control logistics capabilities and infrastructure.' He said he and Dempsey approved the plan.
The U.S. has also been increasing its surveillance flights over Syria, getting better intelligent on potential targets and militant movements.

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Just the beginning? Along with partner nations Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, the strikes began in the ISIS stronghold city of Raqqa

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Strong presence: Military leaders have said about two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 Islamic State militants were in Syria. The U.S. has also been increasing its surveillance flights over Syria, getting better intelligent on potential targets and militant movements


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Retribution: ISIS (troops pictured here in Raqqa), meanwhile, has threatened retribution. Its spokesman, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, said in a 42-minute audio statement released Sunday that the fighters were ready to battle the U.S.-led military coalition and called for attacks at home and abroad

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Vowing to stop ISIS: In a speech Sept. 10, Obama vowed to go after the Islamic State militants wherever they may be. And his military and defense leaders told Congress last week that airstrikes within Syria are meant to disrupt the group's momentum and provide time for the U.S. and allies to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels

[h=3]LIVE TWEETING SYRIA AIRSTRIKE? RAQQA RESIDENT DESCRIBES 'SKY FULL OF DRONES' AS SYRIANS POST EVIDENCE THE ASSAULT HAS BEGUN[/h]A Syrian man may have been first to break the news of America and its partners' air assault on the ISIS-controlled hubs on the Middle Eastern nation.
According to Vox, Twitter user and resident of Raqqa--where the military says its started the air assault on Syria--Abdulkader Hariri (@3bdUlkaed6r) first started tweeting what he saw some 30 minutes before American news reported the strikes.

Hariri describes not only manned aircraft, but also drones in his posts. The U.S. did not mention the use of these unmanned aircraft in its official announcement of the airstrikes.
Just after the strikes were to have begun, Syrian activist news agency Step posted a brief but startling video that purports to show the bombing of Raqqa.

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Military leaders have said about two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 Islamic State militants were in Syria.
In a speech Sept. 10, Obama vowed to go after the Islamic State militants wherever they may be. And his military and defense leaders told Congress last week that airstrikes within Syria are meant to disrupt the group's momentum and provide time for the U.S. and allies to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels.
'I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are,' Obama said. 'That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.'

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The U.S. military has been launching targeted airstrikes in Iraq since August, focusing specifically on attacks to protect U.S. interests and personnel, assist Iraqi refugees and secure critical infrastructure. Last week, as part of the newly expanded campaign, the U.S. began going after militant targets across Iraq, including enemy fighters, outposts, equipment and weapons.

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Fleeing: Syrians carry their belongnings near the Syrian border Sunday near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, Turkey as the Turkish deputy Prime Minister said some 60,000 Syrian had fled across the border as Islamic State (IS) militants shelled villages close to the border

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Getting desperate: Thousands of Kurdish men, women and children are pictured carrying their belongings as they poured into Sanliurfa, on Saturday. ISIS has seized control of Kurdish regions in the north of the country and intensified their assault on Kobani, a town in a strategic position along the northern border

To date U.S. fighter aircraft, bombers and drones have launched about 190 airstrikes within Iraq.
Urged on by the White House and U.S. defense and military officials, Congress passed legislation late last week authorizing the military to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels. Obama signed the bill into law Friday, providing $500 million for the U.S. to train about 5,000 rebels over the next year.
U.S. leaders have also been crisscrossing the globe trying to build a broad international coalition of nations, including Arab countries, to go after the Islamic State group and help train and equip the Iraqi security forces and the Syrian rebels.
The militant group, meanwhile, has threatened retribution. Its spokesman, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, said in a 42-minute audio statement released Sunday that the fighters were ready to battle the U.S.-led military coalition and called for attacks at home and abroad.

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Catalyzing: The beheading American journalist James Foley and two other Westerners helped catalyze public fury over the increasing power of ISIS in Syria and elsewhere

Demanding a fight: The beheadings of American Steven Sotloff (left) and David Haines (right) have further enraged Westerners


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[h=3]WILL MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS MAKE OR BREAK THE BATTLE AGAINST ISIS? U.S. OFFICIALS SAY ARAB NATION PARTNERS WILL BE CRITICAL ALLIES[/h] Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Arab participation was essential for Obama as he looked to expand the American campaign of air strikes to Syria from Iraq, where the U.S. military has already carried out 190 strikes as of Monday.
Several Arab countries have offered to join the United States in air strikes against Islamic State targets, a senior U.S. official told reporters on Sept. 14.
But the United States has so far refused to detail which nations have given private assurances to Washington that they would join in air strikes in Syria, part of a broader strategy against the Islamic State that includes training and arming moderate Syrian opposition fighters.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said in television interviews over the weekend that other nations were willing to join air strikes in Syria.

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Vital allies: All the U.S. partners in the airstrikes against Syria are Middle Eastern nations. They are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan and Bahrain. Here, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, second from right, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and their representatives, pause for photos at the end of their meeting in New York on Monday

'I will make you a prediction,' Power said on ABC. 'We will not do the air strikes alone if the president decides to do the air strikes.'
Several Arab states have powerful air forces, including Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, for example, has also already agreed to host U.S. training of Syrian opposition fighters.
But many Gulf Arab states have been reluctant to be seen aggressively joining the U.S. campaign in Iraq and Syria, fearing in some cases reprisals by extremists or forces loyal to the Syrian government.
The White House last week declined to 'telegraph' when strikes might occur or what preconditions stood in the way.
Obama will give a speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday to make the case again for world action against Islamic State.

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Powerful air force: Seen here is a Royal Saudi Air Force Panavia Tornado IDS, part of the nation's substantial air fleet



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In other developments:

• IS militants release a second video showing the British hostage John Cantlie
• Israel shoots down a Syrian fighter jet in its airspace above the Golan Heights
• Algerian troops are searching for a Frenchman kidnapped by a group linked to IS
• UK Parliament expected to be recalled in "next few days" to discuss military action against IS

 

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Attack: The U.S. has released footage of Tomahawk missiles being fired from the USS Arleigh Burke - a guided missile destroyer stationed in the Red Sea


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Blast: Video emerged early this morning on Syrian Facebook pages showing the US-led airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State targets in and around the city of Raqqa

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Fire: The attacks - described as 'shock without awe' - began in the early hours of this morning local time

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Flash: A Tomahawk missile is fired from the USS Arleigh Burke warship towards ISIS targets in Syria

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Plans: Sailors stand watch on the bridge of USS Philippine Sea while Tomahawk cruise missiles are launched from the guided-missile cruiser towards ISIS targets in northern Syria

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Awaiting orders: An F/A-18E Super Hornet and an F/A-18F Super Hornet prepare to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush

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Ready: An F/A-18C Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush


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Just the beginning? Along with partner nations Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, the strikes began in the ISIS stronghold city of Raqqa


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Littered: A man inspects the remains of what Islamist State militants say was a U.S. drone which crashed into a communication tower in Raqqa overnight

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Destroyed: People inspect a shop damaged after a U.S. drone crashed into a communication station in Raqqa in the early hours of this morning, according to ISIS fighters

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Debris: A van loaded with the remains of the alleged U.S. drone is seen inside the city of Raqqa this morning


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The remains of the alleged drone was packed with wires and circuit boards with English-language safety labels

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Analysis: ISIS fighters (left) load parts of the alleged U.S drone they say crashed in Raqqa last night into a van

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Devastation: Fighters from Al Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, are seen standing among destroyed buildings in Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus. Al-Nusra Front targets were also struck overnight

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Hit: The American airstrikes also struck other militant groups in Syria - among them Al-Nusra Front (pictured)

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A fighter from the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front carries the group's black flag as he climbs down from a destroyed building south of Damascus. The group are not currently allied with ISIS and operate independently


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[h=3]FULL DETAILS OF THE AIRSTRIKES[/h]Countries participating: U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates.
Targets: Islamic State fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles in the vicinity of Raqqa, Dayr az Zawr, Al-Hasakah and Abu Kamal.
U.S. missiles: 47 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles launched from the USS Arleigh Burke and USS Philippine Sea, operating from international waters in the Red Sea and North Arabian Gulf.
U.S. aircraft: Air Force B-1 bombers, F-15E attack planes, F-16 fighters and F-22 fighters; Navy F/A-18 fighters; two types of drone aircraft.
Other strikes: The U.S. alone also conducted eight strikes against the al-Qaida-affiliated Khorasan Group west of Aleppo, including training camps, an explosives and munitions production facility, a communication bui



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ISIS fighters pray at the spot where the jihadist group said a US drone crashed into a communications tower

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Target: With the aid of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. chose to strike the ISIS-held Syrian city of Raqqa (pictured) first late Monday and into Tuesday


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[h=3]WHY THE NEWLY-DEPLOYED F-22 IS CONSIDERED KEY TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE'S TACTICAL POWER[/h]The F-22 Raptor is the U.S. Air Force's newest fighter aircraft - and comes with the very latest equipment to render its agility, stealth and 'war fighting' capabilities second to none.
The Advanced Tactical Fighter first entered the Demonstration and Validation phase in 1986, with prototypes completing test flights in 1990.
Over the next 15 years the aircraft was slowly developed, tested and improved, before finally being declared ready for combat in 2005.
The U.S. Air Force settled on a final procurement tally of 187 fighters in 2009 - the last of which was delivered in 2012.
Since then, due to the high costs involved, the main manufacturing contractors Lockhead Martin and Boeing have ceased production of the fighter.
The aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities including ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles.
Despite the protracted development as well as operational issues - including pilots losing consciousness at the controls - the U.S. Air Force considers the F-22 critical to its tactical air power. It has also described the F-22 as unmatched by any known or projected fighter.



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Rolling out the Raptor: According to reports, the $139million F-22 stealth fighter jet saw combat for the first time ever during the strikes over Raqqa. Two of the jets are pictured here, over Guam

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The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is pictured here. It is currently in the Persian Gulf and may have been a launching point for some of the aircraft that struck at Syria on Monday (FILE)

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Tomahawk: Military officials a revealed that Tomahawk missiles (file photo of the sea-to-land missile seen here) were being launched at Syrian targets from the Persian Gulf and Red Sea



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