US fires dozens of airstrikes in Syria to stop ISIS taking charge after rebels brought down Assad’s 24-year regime
As rebels remove Assad, the United States has launched scores of airstrikes on terrorist ISIS sites throughout central Syria.
As concerns about a power vacuum developing in the war-torn nation increase, more than 75 “precision airstrikes” were conducted on Sunday.
The overthrow of Assad’s government was a “moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Middle East, according to President Joe Biden.
Biden issued a warning that ISIS would try to reconstitute itself by taking advantage of the Syrian regime transition.
“We will not allow that to occur,” he declared.
According to Biden, the United States would remain involved in the area in order to create a transition “toward independent, sovereign and independent.”
Read more on syria
In order to stop the terrorist Islamist group from resurrecting in Syria, the United States maintains about 900 troops there, including forces collaborating with Kurdish friends in the northeast.
As it carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria, Biden affirmed that American troops would stay in the nation.
According to NBC, Daniel Shapiro, a US administration official, also affirmed that the US would concentrate on stopping the terrorist organization’s operations in Syria.
We are conscious that the unstable and ever-changing situation in Syria may allow ISIS to become active and organize overseas activities,” he stated.
He continued: “We re determined to work with those partners to continue to degrade their capabilities.”
Donald Trump, the US president-elect, stated that he has no interest in Assad’s ouster and held views on Syria that differed greatly from Biden’s.
Putin s butcher pal Assad TOPPLED as rebels seize Damascus & his own army says tyrant s 24-year rule is over
He stated in an apost: “This is not our battle… Let it happen. Refrain from being engaged.
There were no signs of civilian casualties, according to the US Central Command, which also stated that it was evaluating the damage caused by these strikes.
According to CENTCOM, “The operation struck over 75 targets using multiple US Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s.”
Following the start of the civil war 13 years ago, ISIS established a caliphate over a sizable portion of Syria, controlling a third of the nation at one point.
Since then, it has lost most of its territory and authority in the region.
After the government was overthrown in under ten days by rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group the US has designated a terrorist organization, Assad was overthrown on Saturday.
Despite HTS’s claims that it severed its connections with al-Qaida years ago, Biden delivered a stern warning.
“We will continue to be vigilant,” the US president stated.
“Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.”
Israel blasted rockets into Damascus on Sunday, demonstrating that the US is not the only nation to shoot missiles into Syria.
Three Israeli airstrikes struck a Syrian government chemical weapons facility near Damascus, which is rumored to have been used by Iran to produce missiles in the past, security officials told Reuters.
According to one source, these attacks caused damage to the infrastructure that houses military equipment, data, and guided missile components.
The Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967, are a buffer zone.
It follows the deployment of the IDF to the Golan buffer zone in anticipation of mayhem after Assad was overthrown on Saturday night.
Additionally, Israel said Sunday it struck at least seven locations in southwestern Syria.
Israel stated that Assad’s forces had abandoned missiles, air defense batteries, and ammunition at the Khalkhala air base.
“Fighting on four fronts,” according to the IDF’s chief of staff, are Syria, Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea.
In order to obtain shelter from his ally Vladimir Putin, Assad reportedly flew to Russia with his family after fleeing Syria.
According to Russian state media, the despot was allowed to remain for humanitarian reasons.
The humiliated Assad resigned as president, left the country, and pleaded for a “peaceful transfer” of power, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Despite this, Biden stated on Sunday that the US was investigating claims that Assad was in Russia and that he was unaware of his location.
The president’s private jet disappeared from radars as it flew over Homs early on Sunday, sparking rumors about his life.
Some speculated that the dictator’s aircraft might have crashed.
It comes as a purported Russian plot to spread bogus information about a ‘plane disaster’ involving al-Assad has been revealed.
Russia “hid their trail” in aiding al-Assad’s escape by spreading false reports that he perished in an accident, according to the Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security on X.
A timeline of the Syrian civil war
A almost 14-year civil war in Syria may come to an end with the abrupt fall of Assad’s regime.
2011: The initial anti-Assad demonstrations swiftly expanded throughout the nation, and security forces responded with a flurry of shootings and arrests.As the unrest turns into an armed revolt that will receive assistance from Turkey as well as Western and Arab nations, some protestors pick up guns, and military units desert.
2012: Al Qaeda’s new Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, gains authority and begins eradicating groups with a nationalist ideology after carrying out its first bombing in Damascus.
Years of U.N.-sponsored peace attempts will be thwarted by the world powers’ disagreements over how to accomplish the political transition, despite their agreement in Geneva that one is necessary.
As rebels gain ground and the conflict intensifies with both sides committing killings, Assad directs his air force toward opposition strongholds.
2013: Hezbollah in Lebanon aids Assad with his triumph at Qusayr, reversing the rebels’ momentum and demonstrating the group’s expanding involvement in the war.
A gas strike on rebel-held eastern Ghouta near Damascus kills dozens of civilians without prompting a U.S. military response, despite Washington’s declaration that chemical weapons use a red line.
The Islamic State group abruptly takes control of Raqqa in the northeast in 2014 and expands its territory in Syria and Iraq.
Their first significant loss in a major city, the surrender of the rebels in the Old City of Homs and their agreement to relocate to an outside suburb served as a model for subsequent “evacuation” agreements.
In order to help Kurdish troops reverse the jihadist trend, Washington forms an anti-Islamic State alliance and launches airstrikes, which strains relations with its partner Turkey.
2015: Islamist militants are playing a larger role, but rebel groups gain progress and take control of northwest Idlib with improved cooperation and more foreign-supplied weapons.
With airstrikes, Russia enters the battle on Assad’s side, turning the tide against the rebels for years to come.
2016: Turkey invades the area with rebel allies after becoming alarmed by Kurdish gains along the border, creating a new area under Turkish authority.
Assad’s greatest war win at the time was the defeat of insurgents in Aleppo by the Syrian army and its allies.
After breaking away from al Qaeda, the Nusra Front attempts to project a more moderate image by taking on a number of different names until deciding on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
2017: Israel admits to using airstrikes against Hezbollah in Syria in an effort to weaken Iran’s and its allies’ increasing power.
Islamic State is defeated in Raqqa by Kurdish-led forces supported by the United States. The jihadist organization is driven from almost all of its territory by that onslaught and another one launched by the Syrian government.
2018: The Syrian government regains control of eastern Ghouta, swiftly retakes the other rebellious areas in central Syria, and then advances on Deraa, the rebels’ stronghold in the south.
2019: The final remnant of Islamic State’s territory in Syria is lost. In order to stop attacks on its Kurdish allies, the United States chooses to retain some soldiers in the nation.
2020: A ceasefire with Turkey that freezes most frontlines is reached after Russia supports a government offensive. Assad appears to be firmly established, controlling the majority of the country and all major cities. The northwest is under rebel control.
A border strip is held by a force supported by Turkey. The northeast is ruled by Kurdish-led forces.
2023: Hezbollah’s role in Syria is eventually diminished and Assad is mortally undermined after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel leads to fighting between Israel and the group in Lebanon.
2024: Aleppo is the target of a fresh rebel attack. Assad’s army rapidly disintegrates as his supporters turn their attention elsewhere. Assad has been overthrown by the rebels, who have captured most major cities and entered Damascus eight days after Aleppo fell.
There will be more later.For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Read More on The US Sun
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/thesunand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSun.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!