Airstrikes against IS in Syria "only the beginning": Pentagon (2)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- The airstrikes on the Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria overnight Monday were "only the beginning" of a coalition effort of the Unites States and its Arabic allies in the anti-IS fight, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday.

"I can tell you that last night's strikes were only the beginning," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said during a press briefing.

The strikes had been "very successful" and would continue, the spokesman noted.

Meanwhile, another military spokesman William Mayville detailed the airstrikes, saying that the initial attack came in three waves. The first was launched from sea by cruise missiles followed by waves of U.S. and Arab bombers and fighters.

For the first time, the U.S. Air Force used its stealthy and expensive F-22 fighter in combat, he said.

A number of Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, participated in the second and third waves of attacks, the official said, adding the mission for Arab nations ranged from combat air patrols to strikes on targets.

Separately, the United States also took action to disrupt the imminent plots against the United States and Western interests conducted by a network of seasoned al-Qaida veterans known as the Khorasan Group, he said. The group has established a safe haven in Syria to develop external attacks, construct and test improvised explosive devices and recruit Westerners to conduct operations.

According to a statement released by U.S. Central Command on Tuesday, U.S. military forces and partner nations used a mix of fighters, bombers, remotely piloted aircraft and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and conducted 14 strikes against IS targets.

The strikes destroyed or damaged multiple IS targets in eastern and northeastern Syria, including IS fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles.

At present, about two thirds of the estimated 30,000 IS fighters are based in Syria. The remainder have captured large parts of northern Iraq, although their momentum has been blunted by U.S. fighter, bomber and drone aircraft.

In addition, the U.S. military has continued airstrikes against IS forces in Iraq. Since Aug. 8, there have been 194 U.S. airstrikes on IS targets across the country.

Last week, Congress and the president agreed to fund a 500- million-dollar program designed to recruit, train and equip a force of opposition moderate Syrians. They will be trained in Saudi Arabia to defend their communities against IS fighters and the Syrian regime.