Facing uncertainty after overthrow of al-Assad, Biden orders airstrikes on Islamic State in Syria

Facing uncertainty in Syria after the rapid overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Washington bombed sites controlled by Islamic State, a group on the terrorist list, as President Joe Biden's administration tried to recalibrate its policy for that country.

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The US faces a quandary because the rebels who have captured Damascus and sent al-Assad into exile in Russia are led by an organisation that is also listed as terrorist, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), for its al-Qaeda link.

While celebrating the fall of al-Assad, Biden addressed the "risk and uncertainty" in Syria to Washington and the region and the initial US response.

"Just today, US forces conducted a dozen precision strikes, airstrikes, within Syria targeting ISIS camps and ISIS operatives", he said.