Report: Airstrikes Hit Islamic State Targets in Northeastern Syria
Last updated on: September 26, 2014 6:26 AM
<p>A group monitoring the war in Syria said airstrikes, thought to be carried out by U.S.-led forces, have hit two areas in an eastern province.</p> <p>The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes occurred overnight Thursday and early Friday in two areas of Deir el-Zour province.</p> <p>Also Friday, British Prime Minister David Cameron urged parliament to vote to approve “years” of airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq, saying the group was guilty of “staggering” brutality and posed a direct threat to Britain.</p> <p><strong>British vote at 1600 GMT</strong></p> <p>Cameron recalled parliament from recess for a special session after securing cross-party support for strikes against the Islamic State militants and his government is expected to comfortably win the vote, which is expected about 1600 GMT.</p> <p>“Is there a threat to the British people? The answer is yes,” Cameron told parliament, saying he thought action would need to last “years” to be effective.</p> <p>He added, "This is not a threat on the far side of the world. Left unchecked we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a NATO member, with a declared and proven intention to attack our country and our people.”</p> <p>Although parliament is expected to vote in favor of airstrikes, some lawmakers in Cameron's Conservative party think striking the Islamic State group in Iraq is insufficient and want him to extend action to tackle IS militants in Syria, too, something he has said he isn't ready to do for now.</p> <p>Conversely, some lawmakers from the left-leaning opposition Labor party are uncomfortable about the prospect of any kind of military action, but Ed Miliband, the party's leader, said he backs Cameron on strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the target struck overnight in Syria appears to have been oil facilities. The report said a command center for the Islamic State group was also hit.</p> <p>It did not say if any casualties occurred, though the Observatory estimates at least 140 Islamic extremists and 13 civilians have been killed in the three previous rounds of airstrikes.</p> <p><strong>Airstrikes against IS targets</strong></p> <p>The U.S., along with its Arab allies, have been bombing Islamic State targets in Syria for the last several days.</p> <p>On Thursday, the Pentagon said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates assisted in the strikes on militant-held oil facilities in northeastern Syria.</p> <p>U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said the attacks targeted small-scale oil refineries that generate up to $2 million per day for the militants.</p> <p>Britain could also join the air campaign soon, if parliament votes Friday to take part in the mission, as expected.</p> <p><cite>Some information for this report came from Reuters.</cite></p> VOA
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