U.S. airstrikes in Syria targeting the Khorasan terrorist group failed to significantly disrupt their operations, and U.S. officials familiar with the operation said last week that many suspected leaders and members escaped, along with high-tech explosive devices.
Members of the group who were thought to be in the area where U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles struck may actually have not been there after all.
"They thought people were there but they were not there," said one U.S. official, according to Reuters.
The strikes were reportedly conducted to "disrupt imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western targets," according to Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby.
But now, in the wake of the U.S. attacks, officials are saying that such imminent terrorist attacks by Khorasan may not have actually been an immediate threat. Because the U.S. missed their targets, officials say that Khorasan members are likely still planning attacks.
The White House declined to comment on the strikes' effectivesness, reported Reuters.
Officials speaking under the condition of anonymity also laid blame on news leaks, saying the group could have been tipped off, giving it ample time to avoid U.S. strikes.
"Discussion and speculation in the media about this group, Khorasan, tempered expectations for what could be accomplished in the strikes," a U.S. intelligence official said.
Conflicting reports are circulating about whether Khorasan's leader, Muhsin Al-Fadhli, was killed in the strikes. "U.S. officials said on Friday they were not sure if Fadhli was dead or if he had himself declared dead and was still operating in the shadows," according to Reuters.
Little has been made public about the Khorasan group, but U.S. officials describe it as an al-Qaeda offshoot composed of a few dozen veteran militants who fought with the upper echelons of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
