WASHINGTON — The U.S. military says it destroyed 116 fuel trucks in Syria used by the Islamic State as part of a smuggling operation that brings the group at least $1 million a day.
The strike was the first of its kind in more than a year of U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria. U.S. officials previously had said they avoided attacking fuel trucks out of concern for civilian casualties.
Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Monday that the militants’ ability to generate revenue through oil smuggling had become such a big concern that U.S. commanders decided to hit fuel trucks, which are a key part of the Islamic State’s illicit oil distribution system.
Four Air Force A-10 attack planes and two AC-130 gunships were used in the attacks carried out Sunday.
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