Intensifying pressure on the Islamic State, United States warplanes for the first time attacked hundreds of trucks on Monday that the extremist group has been using to smuggle the crude oil it has been producing in Syria , American officials said. According to an initial assessment, 116 trucks were destroyed in the attack, which took place near Deir al-Zour, an area in eastern Syria that is controlled by the Islamic State. The airstrikes were carried out by four A-10 attack planes and two AC-130 gunships based in Turkey. Plans for the strike were developed well before the terrorist attacks in and around Paris o n Friday , and the assault was part of a broader operation to disrupt the ability of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL , to generate revenue to support its military operations and run its territory. American officials have long […]