U.S. carries out airstrikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria, says Pentagon
The United States conducted two airstrikes in Syria on Sunday targeting Iran and its aligned groups, the Pentagon said in response to a series of attacks against American forces in the region.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the strikes were aimed at a training facility near the city of Albu Kamal and a safe house near the city of Mayadeen, and they were ordered by President Joe Biden.
“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin said in a statement.
According to local sources, the strikes also targeted a camp run by pro-Iranian militias in an area west of Albu Kamal in Deir al Zor province, and another strike was near a bridge close to the city of Mayadeen, near the Iraqi border – both strongholds of pro-Iranian militias.
This attack marks the third since Oct. 26, as the United States attempts to quell a wave of drone and rocket attacks against American troops in Syria and Iraq, triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.
Iran and its supporters have blamed the United States for Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is also supported by Iran.
There is growing concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and turn U.S. troops at isolated bases into targets, prompting the United States to send warships and fighter aircraft to the region, including two aircraft carriers.
The U.S. military is also taking new measures to protect its forces in the Middle East, including an increase in patrols, restrictions on base facilities, and boosting intelligence collection through drone and other surveillance operations.
Overall, U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces in recent weeks, with at least 45 U.S. troops suffering traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds.
The United States currently has 900 troops in Syria, and 2,500 more in neighboring Iraq, on a mission to advise and assist local forces to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart in Seoul and Suleiman Al-Kalidi in Amman; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Sandra Maler)