9 dead after US airstrikes on Iran-linked site in Syria
For the second time in the past few weeks, the United States (US) warplanes carried out airstrikes on a weapon storage facility in eastern Syria on Wednesday, killing nine people. According to the Pentagon, the site was being used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. In an official release, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said two American F-15 fighters carried out the strikes.
Why does this story matter?
Concerns about the Israel-Hamas war spreading through the Middle East and making US personnel stationed at remote outposts targets are growing. Last month, the US targeted a Syrian site in response to its troops being attacked at least 40 times by Iran-backed forces since the beginning of October in Syria and Iraq. At least 45 US troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds in these IRGC attacks.
Fully prepared to take further actions against IRGC: US
Providing details about Wednesday's strikes, Austin stated, "This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates." While calling for the attacks against US troops to stop, Austin warned that Washington was "fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect" its people and facilities against IRGC and its affiliated groups. There are approximately 900 American troops in Syria and nearly 2,500 in Iraq.
At least 9 dead in US's airstrike in Syria: SOHR
On the other hand, AFP reported that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor said the airstrike on Wednesday killed nine individuals affiliated with the Iran-backed groups. A senior US military official revealed that the site in Deir Ezzor province had been under surveillance for some time so that America could time the airstrike with "a minimal number of casualties."
Attacks related to ongoing Israel-Hamas war
The recent surge in attacks on US troops is related to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, which started on October 7 after the Palestinian terror group carried out a surprise cross-border attack from Gaza. The US is trying to deter Iran and its proxies from turning the Israel-Hamas conflict into a regional battle in the Middle East, but the repeated attacks and strikes risk escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.
