Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement that Austin has ordered the Commander of US Transportation Command “to activate Stage I of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF),” which provides the Pentagon access to commercial air mobility resources to support evacuation from Afghanistan.
“ISIS took advantage of the Turkish incursion and the US withdrawal from northern Syria to rebuild its capabilities and resources both within Syria in the short term and internationally in the longer term,” the congressional intelligence committee said in the report.
An “Islamic State” linked news agency has reported the death of the group’s “minister of war,” Omar al-Shishani. The US claimed to have killed him in March.
A US-led air strike killed two senior Islamic State (IS) commanders in late June. The Pentagon said that one of the targets was the movement’s deputy minister of war.
Washington has said it carried out a string of airstrikes in Syria and Iraq over the holiday. The move comes as the US and its international allies ramp up the fight against the “Islamic State.”
Turkish officials have said they are now ready to fully participate in US-led coalition strikes against the “Islamic State” group. The Pentagon said joint strikes may begin within day
Trying to cope with a steadily growing battlefield as the “Islamic State” increases its sphere of influence, the US plans to drastically up its use of drones
Military expert says Egypt’s pursuing ‘multiple alternative sources for military cooperation’
Obama stresses there is no “quick fix” in military and ideological fight against ISIS
The United States has delayed plans to supply Egypt with an additional four F-16 fighter jets due to unrest gripping the country
The Pentagon said it would send ground-based THAAD missile-interceptor batteries to protect military bases on Guam
