U.S., Arab nations strike ISIS in Syria

The president will speak at 10 a.m. ET at the White House before leaving for New York. The United States and several Arab nations rained bombs on ISIS targets in Syria -- the first U.S. military offensive in the war-torn country and a forceful message to the militant group that the U.S. would not stand by idly while it carried out its rampage of terror, CNN reports. The United States also took action -- on its own -- against another terrorist organization, the Khorasan Group, the military said. That group presented an "imminent" threat to the West, a senior U.S. official told CNN. The airstrikes against ISIS focused on the city of Raqqa, the declared capital of ISIS' self-proclaimed Islamic State. But other areas were hit as well. The operation began with a flurry of Tomahawk missiles launched from the sea, followed by attacks from bomber and fighter aircraft, a senior U.S. military official told CNN. The goal: Taking out ISIS' ability to command, train and resupply its militants. The number of casualties was not immediately clear. But U.S. Central Command said the 14 strikes damaged or destroyed ISIS targets including fighters, training compounds, command-and-control facilities, a finance center and supply trucks. CNN national security analyst Fran Townsend said attacks on infrastructure are just the beginning. Eventually, she said, there will likely be "a real campaign to go after leadership targets."

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