WASHINGTON: A US contractor was killed and five US service members and another US contractor were injured when a suspected Iranian drone struck a facility on a coalition base in the northeast Syria on Thursday, the Pentagon said.
In a statement released late on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said US Central Command forces had retaliated with “precision strikes” against facilities in eastern Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran‘S Revolutionary Guards.
The Defense Department said the intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin.
“The strikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks on Coalition forces in Syria” by groups affiliated with the National Guard, Austin said. Implementation revolution.
Overnight, videos on social media showed explosions in Syria’s Deir Ez-Zor, a strategic province bordering Iraq and home to oil fields.
Iran-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which has also seen suspected Israeli air strikes in recent months allegedly targeting Israel’s supply routes Iran.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, responsible only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out bomb-carrying drone attacks across the Middle East.
In recent months, Russia has begun using Iranian drones in attacks on locations across Ukraine as part of its fight against the Islamic Republic. Kiev.
Iran has denied responsibility for these attacks, although Western countries and experts have forced parts in the drones back to Tehran.
The US attack and response threaten to upset recent efforts in the region to reduce tensions, as Saudi Arabia and Iran are working to reopen embassies in each other’s countries.
The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to reopen its embassy in Syria, where struggling President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country’s long war.
Syria’s state news agency SANA did not immediately acknowledge any attacks. Syria’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There was no immediate response from Iran to the strikes, which occurred during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Qatar’s state news agency reported on a phone call between the country’s foreign minister and Jake SullivanUS national security adviser.
Doha has recently been a party to dialogue between Iran and the US amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Qatar’s foreign minister also spoke by phone at the same time as Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Austin said he authorized the retaliatory attacks at President Joe’s direction Biden.
“As President Biden has made clear, we will take every measure necessary to protect our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. “No group will attack our army with impunity.”
The Pentagon said two of the injured service members were treated on the spot, while three others and the injured contractor were transported to medical facilities in Iraq.
In a statement released late on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said US Central Command forces had retaliated with “precision strikes” against facilities in eastern Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran‘S Revolutionary Guards.
The Defense Department said the intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin.
“The strikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks on Coalition forces in Syria” by groups affiliated with the National Guard, Austin said. Implementation revolution.
Overnight, videos on social media showed explosions in Syria’s Deir Ez-Zor, a strategic province bordering Iraq and home to oil fields.
Iran-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which has also seen suspected Israeli air strikes in recent months allegedly targeting Israel’s supply routes Iran.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, responsible only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out bomb-carrying drone attacks across the Middle East.
In recent months, Russia has begun using Iranian drones in attacks on locations across Ukraine as part of its fight against the Islamic Republic. Kiev.
Iran has denied responsibility for these attacks, although Western countries and experts have forced parts in the drones back to Tehran.
The US attack and response threaten to upset recent efforts in the region to reduce tensions, as Saudi Arabia and Iran are working to reopen embassies in each other’s countries.
The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to reopen its embassy in Syria, where struggling President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country’s long war.
Syria’s state news agency SANA did not immediately acknowledge any attacks. Syria’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There was no immediate response from Iran to the strikes, which occurred during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Qatar’s state news agency reported on a phone call between the country’s foreign minister and Jake SullivanUS national security adviser.
Doha has recently been a party to dialogue between Iran and the US amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Qatar’s foreign minister also spoke by phone at the same time as Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Austin said he authorized the retaliatory attacks at President Joe’s direction Biden.
“As President Biden has made clear, we will take every measure necessary to protect our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. “No group will attack our army with impunity.”
The Pentagon said two of the injured service members were treated on the spot, while three others and the injured contractor were transported to medical facilities in Iraq.
