The strikes caught ‘observers’ in the Middle East by surprise.
“We were expecting the airstrikes, but we were not expecting them to be that soon,” said Riad Kahwaji, chief executive officer of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA). “I am sure they came as a full surprise even for ISIS and al-Nusra Front of al-Qaeda. It is clearly a war on terror.”
n the first of three waves of attacks, Mayville said more than 40 Tomahawk missiles were launched against Khorasan compounds, manufacturing workshops and training camps.
The second wave was airstrikes, including the first combat missions for the F-22 Raptor, against targets in northern Syria, including ISIS headquarters, barracks, training camps and combat vehicles.
The final wave included F-18s and F-16s hitting ISIS training facilities and vehicles in eastern Syria. The “preponderance” of coalition support occurred during the third wave of strikes, Mayville said.