U.S. troops positioned in the Middle East have faced a series of attacks in the past week, involving both drones and rockets, according to officials from the Pentagon. Between October 17-24, troops in Iraq were attacked 10 times, while troops in Syria experienced three attacks during the same period. The Pentagon has stated that all these attacks bear the “Iranian fingerprints”, although there is no evidence linking the Iranian leadership directly to the attacks at this time.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed these incidents on Tuesday, stating that a total of eight attacks were recorded based on the most recent list reviewed by the Central Command (CENTCOM). However, details regarding the location of the additional five attacks remain unclear, as CENTCOM has not yet provided that information.
One of the notable attacks occurred on October 18 at the al Asad base, which is situated west of Baghdad. U.S. forces engaged with two drones during this incident, destroying one and damaging the other. Minor injuries were sustained by coalition forces, and the base experienced some damage. Tragically, a contractor who suffered a heart attack while sheltering during a possible attack also passed away.
Further attacks occurred on the same day at the Al-Harir air base near Erbil and the Al Tanf Garrison in Syria. No injuries were reported at the former, but four U.S. service members were injured at the latter, all of whom have since returned to their duties.
On October 19, the USS Carney intercepted four land attack cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen while located in the northern Red Sea. The ship successfully shot down the projectiles.
Additional attacks were recorded on October 19 at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center near Baghdad International Airport and a mission support site in Euphrates in Northeast Syria. Moreover, on October 20, an attack occurred at the al-Harir air base, followed by another incident on October 23 at the Al Tanf Garrison in Syria.
The situation remains tense as U.S. troops continue to face these attacks in the Middle East. The Pentagon has signaled that it believes Iran has had a role in these incidents, but further investigation is necessary to determine the extent of Iranian involvement and whether the attacks were directly ordered by Iranian leaders.