If they wanted to exploit a vacuum and avoid US airstrikes they would have waited a day or two and not struck right when they did. The only plausible reason for the strike was desperation to keep their allies around. This was a common and repeated tactic in Syria to allow US to get a foothold
i'm just saying it's operationally plausible to act on that day from the perspective of a local belligerent, not that it definitely wasn't the CIA.
If they wanted to exploit a vacuum and avoid US airstrikes they would have waited a day or two and not struck right when they did. The only plausible reason for the strike was desperation to keep their allies around. This was a common and repeated tactic in Syria to allow US to get a foothold