US launches airstrikes in Syria tied to Iran-backed fighters | First Thing
Airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria signal a new willingness in Washington to engage directly in the Middle East crisis. Plus: the search continues for the Maine gunman
Good morning.
The US launched airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps this morning, as fears grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could escalate into a regional conflict.
The Iranian foreign minister said on Thursday that if what he described as a genocide in Gaza did not stop, the US would not be spared from this fire".
Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces carried out another limited ground raid in Gaza, in what appeared to be the second such raid in as many days. Ground forces struck dozens of militant targets, the IDF said. There were no injuries reported.
In Lebanon, some are praying to be spared a war with Israel spilling over from Gaza, while others prepare to join the Hezbollah resistance".
Newly released satellite images show entire neighborhoods in Gaza reduced to rubble by almost three weeks of Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave.
Questions are now being asked about how 40-year-old Robert Card, who had threatened violence and was kept under observation this summer for erratic behavior, was allowed to be in possession of a deadly semi-automatic rifle.
A Maine lawmaker who had previously opposed a ban on assault weapons said he was now changing his stance on gun legislation.
Details have started to emerge of the victims of the largest mass shooting of 2023 so far, with bowling alley employees and a beloved bar manager among those killed.
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