Published October 27, 2023
The US carried out airstrikes targeting two facilities linked to Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria on Thursday, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, following a series of drone and rocket attacks against US forces in the region.
The statement said the facilities have been used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.
The strikes, carried out by a pair of F-16 fighter jets using precision-guided munitions, targeted a weapons and ammunition storage facility in Abu Kamal near the border between Syria and Iraq.
Austin described the strikes, which were ordered by President Joe Biden, as “narrowly tailored in self-defense” and emphasized they are separate from the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He directly accused Iran of having a role in the attacks on US forces, saying in the statement, “Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them.” Austin also promised further strikes if the attacks by Iran’s proxies continue.
The two facilities targeted by US airstrikes in eastern Syria had been previously occupied by members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militia groups, a senior military official said, but it’s still unclear if the strikes resulted in any casualties.
“We know that there were people on the target at various points during the day,” said the official during a briefing with reporters following the attack. “Again, we know that they were not civilians,” the official added. “The people that occupy these locations are Iranian-aligned militia groups as well as IRGC personnel.”
But it would take more time to establish a more precise figure on how many were killed in the strike, if any, the official said.
A senior defense official called Iran “the center of gravity” for the attacks on US forces in the region, saying that “Iranian fingerprints are all over this.”
“Tehran and Iranian senior leaders are funding, arming, equipping, training and directing a whole plethora of militia groups across the region, and they have escalated attacks against US forces since October 17, which is why we took self-defense action tonight,” the official said.
The Biden administration has carried out strikes against militias before, but at a time of enormous tension, the US is looking to send a strong message to Iran and the militias not to escalate their attacks and spark a wider conflict in the Middle East. The region is on edge as the Israel-Hamas war, which was triggered by Hamas’ brutal terror attack on October 7, continues.
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SOURCE: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/26/politics/us-strikes-facilities-syria/index.html
RELATED: US strikes Syria bases used by Iran-linked groups
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the strikes were in response to recent attacks on US bases (file photo)
Published October 27, 2023
The US has carried out air strikes against two weapons and ammunition storage facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the strikes were in response to recent attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups.
The US strikes were “separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas,” he said in a statement.
Iran did not immediately comment.
The strikes, carried out by a pair of F-16 US air force fighters, took place on Friday at around 04:30 local time (01:30 GMT) near Abu Kamal, a town on the border with Iraq.
It is not yet known if there were any casualties from the attacks.
“These precision self-defence strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17,” Mr Austin said in a statement.
US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began.
A total of 21 US military personnel have suffered minor injuries, according to the Pentagon.
American officials attribute the attacks to Iranian proxy groups operating in the region. Iran backs both Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Hezbollah, which operates in Lebanon, with arms as well as money.
“These Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and must stop,” Mr Austin said.
“If attacks by Iran’s proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.”
The White House said on Thursday that President Joe Biden had warned Iran against targeting US personnel in the Middle East via a rare message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni.
At a UN General Assembly meeting in New York also on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned that Washington would not be spared from the fire engulfing the region if the violence in Gaza continues.
The US has sent warships and fighter aircraft to the region in recent weeks. On Thursday, US officials said some 900 US troops were also being moved there.
The US is at great pains to emphasize that the overnight action in eastern Syria is not connected to what is going on in Gaza, that it was not done in any coordination with Israel, and that it is a completely separate action of self-defence.
It is trying to distance its action and tell Iran to back off.
Despite this, it will be seen as connected and part of US actions in the region that are seen as supportive of Israel.
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SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67236438
RELATED: US attacks facilities in Syria linked to Iran, Pentagon says
The White House earlier warned it would respond to attacks on its forces in Iraq and Syria at ‘time of our choosing’.
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said the latest strikes on Syria are not connected to the Israel-Hamas war [Virginia Mayo/AP]
Published October 27, 2023
The United States has attacked two facilities in Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran-backed groups, the Pentagon has said, following a series of attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria.
The strikes came after President Joe Biden’s administration pledged to respond to attacks on US personnel that Washington has blamed on armed groups backed by Iran.
“The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and must stop,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Thursday.
“Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.”
