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'Syrian air defenses to be hit back if they hamper US air strikes on Islamic State'

The Obama administration will not hesitate to strike back if Syrian regime comes in the way of US planes targeting the Islamic State targets in Syria, a news agency reported citing top American officials.

'Syrian air defenses to be hit back if they hamper US air strikes on Islamic State'

Washington: The Obama administration will not hesitate to strike back if Syrian regime comes in the way of US planes targeting the Islamic State targets in Syria, a news agency reported citing top American officials.

According to an Associated Press report, the US is well acquainted with the location and details of Syrian air defense commands and hence will be able to easily hit them if Assad regime's aircraft hamper the US planes striking IS, said some officials who did not want to be named.

As the Islamic State continue their onslaught across Iraq and Syria leaving a dark trail of bloodshed and terror, the US has decided to extend the air strikes targeting the extremists to Syria to rein in their advance.

However, the Obama administration may be in for some trouble in the war-torn country as the Assad regime has warned the US against carrying out any unilateral strike in Syria.

Ignoring the Syrian warning, the US has made it clear that it will not coordinate with Syria while launching airs trikes against the IS targets.

Speaking to Bob Schieffer of CBS in “Face the Nation”, US Secretary of State John Kerry said, “we’re not going to coordinate. It’s not a cooperative effort.”

Further mocking Syria, Kerry said, “ We’re going to do what they haven’t done what they had plenty of opportunity to do, which is to take on ISIL and to degrade it and eliminate it as a threat. And we will do that with allies.”

Obama's decision to extend the strikes to Syrian ether has brought to light the intricacies involved in taking the fight to a country which is mired in civil war for three years now.

Syria had earlier agreed to US strikes against the ISIS on its oil, but only when coordinated with its government.