BEIRUT (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Tuesday its partners in air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria included Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

In a CENTCOM statement, it added the U.S. military had taken action to disrupt “imminent attack” against the U.S. and Western interests by “seasoned al Qaeda veterans” who had established a safe haven in Syria. “These strikes were undertaken only by U.S. assets,” it said.

The statement said the U.S. had launched strikes from warships in international waters in the Red Sea and the North Arabian Gulf.

It said Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi and the UAE had “also participated in or supported the air strikes against (Islamic State) targets. All aircraft safely exited the strike areas,” it said.

(Reporting by Beirut bureau; Writing by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Tom Perry)