The majority of the Tomahawk cruise missiles
fired in the first wave of air strikes in Syria Monday were against Khorasan
group compounds, manufacturing workshops, and training camps, said Joint Staff
Operations Director
Lt. Gen. William Mayville on Tuesday. Intelligence reports
indicated the Khorasan, an al Qaeda affiliate based out of northwest Syria, “was
in the final stages of plans to execute major attacks against Western targets”
in Europe and “potentially the US homeland,” said Mayville. “As I’m sure you
probably know, we’re still assessing the effects of our strikes, but we’ve been
watching this group closely for some time,” said Mayville. He added, “We know
that the Khorasan group has attempted to recruit westerners to serve as
operatives or to infiltrate back into their homelands.” Though based in Syria,
Mayville said the Khorasan “clearly is not focused on either” Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad’s regime “or the Syrian people. They are establishing roots in
Syria in order to advance attacks against the West and the homeland.” Mayville
said it’s too early to say whether the successfully deterred the threat.
