LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. official says America and its Arab allies launched more than 200 airstrikes against roughly a dozen militant targets in Syria during the assault that began Monday night.

The military mission was the beginning of a broad international campaign against Islamic State militant strongholds in Syria. The U.S. simultaneously targeted the Khorasan Group, an al-Qaida cell, west of the Syrian city of Aleppo that was said to be plotting imminent attacks on American and Western interests.

The total number of strikes and targets had not been released.

The official says a majority of the 47 Tomahawk missiles fired off U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea targeted eight Khorasan sites.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to provide mission details on the record by name.

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