Syria: US begins air strikes on Islamic State targets

Breaking NewsThe US informed Syria's UN envoy about the air strikes before they took place, the Syrian foreign ministry says.

05:38:

The Syrian government statement has also seen it confirm that strikes hit Raqqa: "The American side informed Syria's permanent envoy to the UN that strike will be launched against the Daesh terrorist organisation (IS) in Raqqa."

 

Lyse Doucet Chief international correspondent

tweets: Turning point #Syria war with US air strikes helped by Arab states.. wars in region often turn in unexpected ways.. and will again. 

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Where do key countries stand on Islamic State? Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan have all signed a communique pledging to fight IS.

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US media are reporting that Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the Arab countries involved in the strikes in Syria - citing anonymous US officials.

(CNN) -- American jets began bombing ISIS targets in Syria early Tuesday, raising U.S. involvement in the war-torn country and sending a forceful message to the terror group.

The airstrikes focused on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, a U.S. official told CNN, though other locations were hit as well. They're the first strikes against the terror group inside the country since President Barack Obama's announcement this month that he was prepared to expand the American efforts beyond targets in Iraq.

All foreign partners participating in the strikes with the United States are Arab countries, a senior U.S. military official told CNN. Those nations are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.