Twin car bombs struck intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus today, killing at least 27 people and wounding nearly 100, according to state media.
Today, the United States used some of the evidence to select several targets, like Al Qaeda training camps, for missile strikes, intelligence and law enforcement officials said.
Last week an NBC report noted that in so-called signature drone strikes "the C.I.A. doesn't necessarily know who it is killing": in signature strikes "intelligence officers and drone operators kill suspects based on their patterns of behavior — but without positive identification".
The US is building a coalition of allies to take on Isis in the hope that a combination of air strikes, intelligence sharing, financial freezes and a travel crackdown will obviate the need for boots on the ground to fight the militants.
The decision was welcomed by the head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, who said it was "clear that the requirement for fast jet precision strike and intelligence gathering" showed no sign of diminishing.
The US was not planning to attack the shura, but decided to call in the strike when intelligence reports indicated Shishani was present.
The vehicles were apparently leaving a compound, and one was carrying a large load of ammunition, compounding the blasts from the missile strikes, the intelligence officials said.
Several local police and counterterrorism officials said they were struck by intelligence that indicated midsize American cities were considered for attacks.
But United States military officials in Washington said American helicopters are using the two remote bases to ferry commandos into Afghanistan for quick strikes and intelligence gathering.
The prime minister indicated that the UK and the US strikes followed intelligence that Khan and Hussain were plotting to attack "high-profile public commemorations" in the UK.
