Strikes Begin Over Syria

In this Tuesday, July 29, 2014 photo, Islamic militants parade in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad, Iraq. Last month's rapid advance of the Islamic State group, which captured Iraq... In this Tuesday, July 29, 2014 photo, Islamic militants parade in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad, Iraq. Last month's rapid advance of the Islamic State group, which captured Iraq's second largest city of Mosul, has plunged the country into its worst crisis since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011 with more than a million Iraqis now classified as internally displaced or refugees. (AP Photo) MORE LESS
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From the AP …

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the U.S. and partner nations have begun airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State militants, using a mix of fighter jets, bombers and Tomahawk missiles fired from ships in the region.

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby says that because the military operation is ongoing, no details can be provided yet. He says the decision to strike was made early Monday by the military.

The strikes are part of the expanded military campaign that President Barack Obama’s authorized nearly two weeks ago in order to disrupt and destroy the Islamic State militants, who have slaughtered thousands of people, beheaded Westerners, including two American journalists, and captured a large swath of territory stretching from within Syria to land across northern and Western Iraq.

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