Air Strike Tactics in Syria Changing, U.S. Military Official Says
Air Strike Tactics in Syria Changing, U.S. Military Official Says by Robert Wall – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. is adapting its tactics in Syria as Islamic State has been pushed out of urban centers, focusing on small areas to ensure that the militant fighters don’t slip away, the top U.S. air commander in the Middle East said Friday.
In a wide-ranging news conference with reporters, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, said that finding targets is now more difficult and the pace of air strikes is slowing. The Syrian government claimed victory over Islamic State in its last urban stronghold of Albukamal on Thursday, forcing the group’s few remaining fighters into the desert.
“We know that they are going to try to get out of there and we are going to position our assets to be in a position to find them, target them and take the necessary activities required,” Lt. Gen. Harrigian said.
He also touched on Afghanistan, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, where political upheaval is adding to the complex military picture in the region…