Cairo, Dec 20, (dpa/GNA) – At least five Islamic State operatives were killed in overnight airstrikes, launched in a major operation by the US-led coalition against the terrorist organization in Syria, a monitoring group reported on Saturday.
The five were a commander of an Islamic State cell and four members of the militia on the outskirts of the Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, Rami Abdel-Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told dpa.
The targeted cell was responsible for launching drone attacks in the area.
The strikes unleashed Friday in the Syrian provinces of Deir al-Zour, Homs and al-Raqqa, lasted for 40 minutes, according to Abdel-Rahman. Potential casualties in other areas were not reported.
The large-scale operation involved fighter jets and helicopters that targeted infrastructure and weapons depots belonging to Islamic State, reported the UK-based group, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria.
Jordan, a neighbour of Syria, on Saturday confirmed the participation of its air force along with the coalition in conducting “precise” strikes against the terrorist targets in southern Syria.
“This operation came as part of the war on terrorism, and to prevent extremist organizations from exploiting these areas as launching points to threaten the security of Syria’s neighbours and the region, especially after the terrorist Daesh organization has regenerated itself and rebuilt its capabilities in southern Syria,” the Jordanian army said in a statement.
Islamic State is known as Daesh in the Arab world and several other countries.
On Friday, the United States said it started an operation to eliminate Islamic State members in Syria, in response to an attack that killed two US soldiers and a US interpreter last week.
GNA