US planes drop arms in Syria for locals to fight IS

Washington: U.S. cargo planes have dropped small arms ammunition to Arab groups in northern Syria. That’s according to a spokesman for the U.S. military command spearheading the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for the U.S. military in Kuwait, said Monday the airdrop was conducted Sunday by Air Force C-17 cargo planes. He did not identify the groups that received the supplies but said their leaders had been vetted and have been fighting to remove IS from northern Syria. The airdrop is in line with a revamped U.S. approach in Syria. The Obama administration announced last week that instead of trying to build a new Syrian rebel force, it will provide equipment, including ammunition, to existing Syria rebel groups who share the goal of defeating IS. For a deep dive into the civil war in Syria, click here for BBC News specials. AP