As the situation on the ground in Syria continues to
evolve, the US military conducted air strikes on key targets
in the country.
Their aim?
The terror group ISIS, which operates within the borders of
Syria, scripts News Global Affairs correspondent Maya Rodriguez joins us
live now with details on this.
And Maya, there are also U.S.
troops based in Syria.
What do we know about the situation with them given
everything that is going on there?
Well, Patrick, there are about 900 U.S.
troops operating from bases within Syria.
And for now, President Biden says those troops will remain
there.
The main reason for their presence is to fight ISIS.
It's been an ongoing mission there for years called Operation
Inherent Resolve.
Now, over the weekend, the US military targeted 75 ISIS
sites in Syria using B52 bombers and F15 fighters and
dropping more than 140 munitions.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said some of those targets were
located out in the deserts of Syria.
Now, there is a real concern from U.S.
officials that with so much instability in Syria at this
point, there's a chance that ISIS could try to gain
a greater foothold there.
That's why U.S.
officials say they conducted those strikes on ISIS.
Here's what Secretary Austin had to say about how that
mission went.
Those strikes were focused on those cells.
And as you know, we reported out that we conducted
attacks on 75 targets with a number of different platforms.
And, and we're still evaluating the, the, the results.
But I, I, I think that we're going to find
that we've been pretty, pretty successful.
In the meantime, there is another unfolding situation in Syria,
this time in the country's notorious prisons.
That is where 10s of thousands of political prisoners have
been held, some for decades.
Human rights groups have alleged that the Assad regime, which
first began in the 1970s with Bashar al Assad's father,
used a system of prisons to conduct mass incarceration and
torture of their political opponents.
There are videos now emerging on social media which appear
to show rebels freeing people from those prisons.
A rescue group that operates in Syria called the White
Helmets said it is sending out search teams to one
such major prison in Damascus to search for hidden chambers
that may possibly be located underground and possibly holding more
prisoners.
Patrick, Wow.
And Maya, Could one of those prisoners possibly be that
kidnapped American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in
Syria back in 2012?
OK.
Well, Patrick, at this point, we just simply don't know.
Now, you heard President Biden say in his remarks on
Sunday that the US believes Austin Tice is still alive
and they want to get him back.
But he also said that first they have to know
where he is.
The FBI has a $1 million reward up for information
leading to Tice's safe return.
His family, who we spoke to on Friday, said at
the time that a source had told them he is
well and being cared for, but where he is is
still unknown at this point.
And Austin Tyson parents just put out a new statement
today which says, quote, we are watching the events unfold
in Syria and seeing families reunited with their loved ones
after years of separation.
We know this is possible for our family, too.
Austin Tice is alive in Syria, and it's time for
him to come home.
We are eagerly anticipating seeing Austin walk free, and we
are asking anyone who can do so to please assist
Austin so he can safely return home to our family
and Patrick.
That is something his family has been desperately hoping to
see during the more than 12 years since his kidnapping.
And these latest developments surely give them hope, but also
must be a little unnerving given everything that's happened over
the weekend.
We appreciate you staying on top of it.
Scripps News global affairs correspondent Maya Rodriguez for us live.
Maya, thank you.