WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding news reports of U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Khorasan targets in Syria:

“I support the President’s decision to launch airstrikes against the terrorists’ command-and-control centers in Syria. I join all Americans in thanking our service members, as well as our intelligence agencies, for conducting this important mission with professionalism and courage.

“I am also pleased to hear that armed forces from five Arab nations, both Sunni and Shiite, were engaged in the operation. The world must stand together in defiance of ISIL and the evil it represents.

“Although there are many questions that have not been answered about the Administration’s full strategy, I am hopeful that last night’s actions are indicative of a turning point in U.S. policy in the region.”