US forces have carried out the overwhelming majority of air strikes against the self styled “Islamic State” militants since August, with American warplanes conducting about 85 percent of the raids, the Pentagon admitted yesterday.
Arab coalition partners have carried out 56 out of 393 air strikes over Syria, and Western allies have conducted about 70 out of more than 470 bombing raids in Iraq, Colonel Patrick Ryder, spokesman for US Central Command, told the media.
Since launching air strikes on August 8 on IS in Iraq, and later extending it to Syria on September 23, US forces and allied aircraft have carried out roughly 9,020 flights, including thousands of surveillance and refueling runs, according to the military´s latest tally.
After more than 800 air strikes over about three months, US and coalition aircraft have unloaded about 2,400 bombs and missiles, defense officials added.
