At least 11 pro-Iranian fighters have been killed in U.S. airstrikes on Syria carried out in retaliation for a drone assault that left an American lifeless and wounded six others, a battle monitor mentioned Friday.
A U.S. contractor was killed and one other contractor and 5 U.S. service personnel have been wounded when a kamikaze drone “of Iranian origin” struck a upkeep facility on a base of the U.S.-led coalition close to Hassakeh in northeastern Syria, the Pentagon mentioned.
In response, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned Thursday that, at President Joe Biden’s course, he had ordered “precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
“The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” Austin mentioned.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a large community of sources on the bottom within the war-torn nation, mentioned 11 folks had been killed by U.S. strikes, together with two Syrians.
“U.S. strikes targeted a weapons depot inside Deir el-Zour city, killing six pro-Iran fighters, and two other fighters were killed by strikes targeting the desert of al-Mayadin, and three others near Albu Kamal,” mentioned the Observatory’s head Rami Abdel Rahman.
The United States deploys about 900 troops in bases and posts throughout northeastern Syria as a part of a coalition combating remnants of the Daesh terrorist group.
Iran-backed militias have a heavy presence throughout Syria, particularly across the border with Iraq and south and west of the Euphrates in Deir el-Zour province, the place the most recent U.S. strikes came about.
‘Always reply’
American troops additionally assist the YPG, which fought Daesh in Syria. U.S. personnel are often been focused in assaults by armed teams.
Two of the U.S. service members wounded Thursday have been handled on-site, whereas the three different troops and one U.S. contractor have been medically evacuated to Iraq, the Pentagon mentioned.
“We will always take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” mentioned General Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command.
When the strikes have been introduced, Biden had already traveled to Canada, the place he’s set to fulfill with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In January, the U.S. navy mentioned “three one-way attack drones” have been launched in opposition to the coalition garrison at Al-Tanf in Syria, with one breaching its air defenses and wounding two allied Syrian fighters.
The Observatory mentioned it was possible Iran-backed militants had carried out that assault.
Last August, Biden ordered related retaliatory strikes within the oil-rich Syrian province of Deir el-Zour after a number of drones focused a coalition outpost, with out inflicting any casualties.
That assault got here the identical day that Iranian state media introduced a Revolutionary Guard common had been killed days earlier whereas “on a mission in Syria as a military adviser.”
Iran, a key ally of the federal government of Syrian chief Bashar Assad, says it has deployed its forces in Syria on the invitation of Damascus and solely as advisers.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
