WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley.

The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Islamic State militants.

The United States has signaled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State’s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran’s influence.

“The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control center in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley,” a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation.

Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with U.S., Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey’s southern border.

“Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region,” Major General James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. U.S. troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad’s government and his allies.</s>Image copyright Reuters Image caption US-led air strikes helped Kurdish and Arab fighters capture the IS stronghold of Raqqa last year

The US-led coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) says it has killed up to 150 militants in air strikes on a headquarters in Syria.

A statement said the strikes took place on Saturday near al-Shafah, in the Middle Euphrates river valley in the south-eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

A combination of intelligence and continuous target observation ensured no civilians were harmed, it added.

There was no confirmation of the attack from IS or its supporters.

However, the group's Amaq news agency did say 14 people, including seven women, were killed in US air strikes that targeted al-Shafah on Tuesday.

The activist-run Deirezzor24 website also said the village was hit that day.

The coalition says the group has lost 98% of the territory that it seized across Iraq and Syria in 2014, when it proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate".

IS now controls only small pockets of land in Syria, including a part of the Euphrates valley, where it is under attack by a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as well as Syrian pro-government forces supported by Russia and Iran.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption IS and how it continues to plague Iraq

The coalition statement said the "precision strikes" on the IS headquarters and command-and-control centre near al-Shafah came after an extensive intelligence operation that included SDF fighters assisting in target observation.

"The combination of intelligence and continuous eyes on the target ensured no accidental engagement of non-military personnel," it added.

Militants were "massing for movement" at the headquarters before it was hit, according to the coalition, which said between 145 and 150 were killed.

"The strikes underscore our assertion that the fight to liberate Syria is far from over," said Maj Gen James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition.

"Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing [IS] terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region."

The comments from the general came as Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels continued an offensive against the Kurdish militia that dominates the SDF - the People's Protection Units (YPG) - in the north-western border region of Afrin.

Turkey says the militia is an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for decades. The YPG denies any direct organisational links with the PKK.</s>Nearly 150 Islamic State fighters were killed during U.S.-led coalition airstrikes targeting IS headquarters in eastern Syria late last week, the coalition said in a statement.

The strikes on Saturday targeted a congregation of IS fighters near the town of as-Shafah in eastern Syria's contested Middle Euphrates River Valley, the coalition statement said Tuesday. The fighters, heavily concentrated, were apparently massing for movement.

"The strikes underscore our assertion that the fight to liberate Syria is far from over," the commander of special operations for the coalition, Major General James Jarrard, said in the statement.

The U.S. has signaled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent a resurgence of IS, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran's influence.

IS has yet to confirm Saturday's airstrikes, but its Amaq News Agency claimed 14 people, including seven women, were killed during a coalition strike targeting as-Shafah hospital on Tuesday. 

 

 The coalition statement said Saturday's strikes were conducted with assistance from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which include Kurdish YPG fighters who provided target observation about IS.

"The combination of intelligence and continuous eyes on the target ensured no accidental engagement on nonmilitary personnel," the coalition statement said.

"We cannot take out focus off our mission, and we must not lose out momentum in taking these terrorists off the battlefield and preventing them from resurfacing somewhere else," Jarrard said.

The strikes on Saturday came as the U.S. urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting the Islamic State. On Tuesday, Turkey claimed to have killed 260 Kurdish and IS fighters in a four-day offensive the north of the country.

Turkey is engaged in an air and ground offensive in northwestern Syria's city of Afrin against a Kurdish group known as People's Protection Units, or YPG. The group is the backbone of the SDF and a key ally of the U.S. in its current fight against IS in the region.

Turkey alleges the YPG is an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been fighting for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for decades. The YPG denies those accusations.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting airstrikes against Islamic State since 2014. U.S. troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 IS fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad's government and his allies.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley.

The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Islamic State militants.

The United States has signalled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State’s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran’s influence.

“The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control centre in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley,” a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation.

Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with U.S., Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey’s southern border.

“Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region,” Major General James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. U.S. troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad’s government and his allies.</s>WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley.

The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Islamic State militants.

The United States has signaled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State´s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran´s influence.

"The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control center in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley," a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation.

Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with U.S., Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey's southern border.

"Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region," Major General James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. U.S. troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad´s government and his allies. (Reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and James Dalgleish)</s>The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State has said it has killed nearly 150 militants in strikesin the Syrian middle Euphrates valley.



The strikes on Saturday come as the US urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Isis. On Tuesday, Turkey claimed to have killed 260 Kurdish and Isis fighters in a four-day offensive the north of the country.

The US has signalled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent a resurgence of Isis, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran’s influence.

“The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an Isis headquarters and command and control center in an exclusively Isis-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates river valley,” said a statement issued on Tuesday by the coalition.

The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation.

Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with US, Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the US-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey’s southern border.

“Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region,” maj gen James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. US troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assadss government and his allies.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley.

The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Islamic State militants.

The United States has signalled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State’s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran’s influence.

“The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control centre in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley,” a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation.

Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with U.S., Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey’s southern border.

“Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region,” Major General James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. U.S. troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad’s government and his allies.</s>Fifteen civilians were killed after residential areas of the settlement of al-Shaaf in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor became a target of the US-led coalition's air strikes on Tuesday, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

According to the media, 7 women are among those killed as a result of the attack, whereas some people are seriously injured.

The US-led coalition is fighting Daesh in Syria, however, not only militants turn out to be targeted during its operations.

On December 14, the Syrian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the UN Security Council and to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres accusing the US-led coalition of killing civilians in the province of Deir Ez-Zor by airstrikes, according to local media.</s>WASHINGTON: The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes carried out on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley.

"The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control center in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley," a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The statement said the strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants.</s>The US-led coalition has killed as many as 150 Islamic State fighters in an operation in the middle Euphrates River Valley in Syria, officials said Tuesday.

According to a statement from the coalition, the air strikes took place Saturday near Al-Shafah, in Deir Ezzor province, on an IS headquarters where the jihadists appeared to have been “massing for movement.”

“The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control center in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested Middle Euphrates River Valley,” the statement read.

While IS has lost most of the terrain they once controlled in Syria, they still remain entrenched in pockets along the middle Euphrates River Valley.

“We are continuing to go after those guys that are trying to reestablish themselves. It’s a hard fight right now.”

The coalition said that the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed Arab-Kurdish alliance fighting IS, had assisted in target observation prior to the strike.

“The combination of intelligence and continuous eyes on the target ensured no accidental engagement of non-military personnel,” the statement read.
The U.S.-led coalition against ISIL says it has killed up to 150 militants in air strikes on a headquarters in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria.