Anti-ISIS coalition intensifies strikes in Syria, Iraq

The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants with nine air strikes in Syria and 14 in Iraq on Sunday, the U.S. military said on Monday.

In Syria, the strikes hit tactical units and fighting positions near Aleppo, Hasakah and Kobane, and minefields near Raqqa, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.

U.S. President Barack Obama said last week the coalition was intensifying its campaign in northern Syria.

In Iraq, the air strikes destroyed tactical units, vehicles and fighting positions near eight cities, including Mosul, Fallujah and Ramadi, it added.

The strikes began in Iraq in August 2014, after ISIS captured Mosul and launched an offensive that seized areas of the country's western desert, threatening to approach Baghdad.

The campaign was later extended to Syria after President Barack Obama vowed to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the ISIS threat through strikes and increased support for Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.