Islamic State militants in Raqqa province said a US drone crashed during the air strikes against them
The US and several Arab allies have launched the first strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.
The Pentagon said fighter and bomber jets and Tomahawk missiles were used in the attacks, which targeted several areas including IS stronghold Raqqa.
Syria's foreign ministry said its UN envoy was informed about the strikes against IS, who control large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
The US has already launched about 190 air strikes in Iraq since August.
However, Monday's action expands the campaign against the militant group across the border into Syria.
Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm John Kirby confirmed the strikes, saying "US military and partner nation forces" were undertaking military action in Syria - but did not give details.
The militants said the US drone came down after crashing into a communications tower in Raqqa
"Given that these operations are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide additional details at this time," he said in a statement.
The Syrian government has not formally consented to the air strikes on its territory. However, it says it was informed before they took place.
These air strikes mark a major shift in operations against IS for two reasons.
Firstly, they now expand the fight across the border into the group's heartland in Syria.
IS knew they were coming and had already dispersed some of their key assets. But it will still be a shock to many that their de facto capital of Raqqa is no longer a safe haven.
Secondly, the participation of Arab states spreads the responsibility to some extent away from just the US.
Islamic State will be enraged by this - it has no effective military answers to US air power - so those Arab countries that supported or took part in the action may well now be bracing themselves for possible reprisals.
Reports indicate many of the strikes hit Raqqa province, an IS stronghold in eastern Syria the group captured in 2013.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists on the ground, said more than 20 militants were killed in two strikes on IS positions in Raqqa.
'Bombing without consent'
The US confirmed that Sunni Arab countries Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates "participated in or supported" the US-led air strikes.
Jordan said its "air force jets destroyed a number of targets that belong to some terrorist groups that sought to commit terror acts inside Jordan."
Analysts say it is significant that countries with a Sunni majority, such as Saudi Arabia, appear to be among those supporting US efforts against IS.
IS members are jihadists who adhere to an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam and consider themselves the only true believers.
US media reports said F-22 fighter planes were involved in the air strikes in the north and east of Syria
The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Washington DC says the strikes in Syria differ from those in Iraq: while the government of Iraq invited US intervention against the IS militants, the Syrian government has not done so.
That puts the US in the position of bombing an Arab country without its consent, our correspondent reports.
Syria's foreign ministry said in a statement that its UN envoy was informed about the strikes.
The US and allies including the UK have ruled out co-operating against IS with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, whom they accuse of responsibility for huge numbers of civilian deaths during Syria's civil war.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said last month that any US action would be "considered aggression" unless it was co-ordinated with Syria.
Hadi al-Bahra, president of the National Coalition, Syria's main opposition alliance, welcomed the military action but said "strikes alone cannot defeat extremism for good."
"The long-term solution is moderate, inclusive Syrian governance that prevents the resurgence of extremism," he said in a statement.
Refugee crisis
Islamic State - also known as Isis, or Isil - has taken control of large areas of Syria and Iraq, imposed a harsh brand of Islam, and declared a caliphate.
The group, which the CIA says could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria, has executed captive soldiers, aid workers and journalists, and threatened the mass killing of Iraqi religious minorities.
The IS advance in northern Syria has created a refugee crisis in neighbouring Turkey, with about 130,000 Kurdish refugees crossing the border at the weekend.
Most refugees are from Kobane, a Syrian town close to the Turkish border that is under siege by IS militants.
Before the latest influx, there were already more than one million Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Islamic State fighters have carved out a power base in the Syria town of Raqqa
Who are Islamic State (IS)?
- Formed out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2013, IS first captured Raqqa in eastern Syria
- It captured broad swathes of Iraq in June, including Mosul, and declared a "caliphate" in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq
- Pursuing an extreme form of Sunni Islam, IS has persecuted non-Muslims such as Yazidis and Christians, as well as Shia Muslims, whom it regards as heretics
- Known for its brutal tactics, including beheadings of soldiers, Western journalists and aid workers
- The CIA says the group could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria
- The US has been launching air strikes on IS targets in north-eastern Iraq since mid-August
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