US strikes Syrian oil fields

US, Saudi and Emirati warplanes have broadened their bombardment to target the oil fields in eastern Syria that have helped fund IS' brutal rise.

The US has unleashed a new round of bombings on Islamic State targets in Syria as President Barack Obama recruited more allies to fight the jihadist "network of death".

US, Saudi and Emirati warplanes broadened their bombardment to target the oil fields in eastern Syria that have helped fund the jihadist group's brutal rise from rebel faction to alleged global threat.

The strikes came as Obama urged leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly to join his coalition and convinced the Security Council to back a resolution to stem the flow of foreign fighters.

Belgium and the Netherlands committed warplanes to Iraq and Britain said its parliament would vote on Friday on following suit.

"The United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death," Obama told the UN about the Islamic State group, which has grabbed vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

"Today I ask the world to join in this effort."

Meanwhile, an IS-linked group in Algeria which had demanded France halt its participation in the strikes posted video footage of the execution of an abducted Frenchman.

"We will use our military might in a campaign of air strikes to roll back ISIL," Obama declared, using the acronym for the former Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, since renamed the Islamic State.

Overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, US air raids targeted IS fighters threatening the Kurdish regional capital in Iraq and damaged eight militant vehicles operating in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border.

Then as night fell again on Wednesday, Arab jets joined the US-led bombardment again - as they had on Monday - as the target list was expanded to include economic assets.

"These operations are ongoing so we will not provide additional details at this time," Rear Admiral John Kirby said.

At the United Nations, Obama and French President Francois Hollande led international condemnation of the murder of the French hiker, 55-year-old Herve Gourdel, by the IS-linked Jund al-Khilifa.

Paris opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq but has sent Rafale fighters into action over Iraq - but not to the parallel campaign in Syria - and Hollande vowed not to give in to the IS group.


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world