US attacks militia-controlled areas in eastern Syria

• The US military said it carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria.
• The attacks targeted areas used by militias backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
• At least six Syrian and foreign insurgents were killed in the incident.

The United States launched airstrikes in eastern Syria on areas used by militias backed by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the army announced early on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, according to The Associated Press.

Syrian state media did not immediately report the attacks in Deir Ez-Zor. Iran also did not acknowledge the incident. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group that monitors the war, and the activist group Deir Ezzor 24 said the operation targeted the Ayash camp, run by the Fatimiyoun group, made up of Afghan Shiite fighters.

Attack in Syria leaves death toll

The Observatory reported that at least six Syrian and foreign insurgents were killed in the incident.
The strikes «were a proportionate and deliberate action to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties,» US Army Central Command said.

It did not identify the targets or offer figures on victims of an operation that, it added, was carried out by order of US President Joe Biden. «Today’s strikes were necessary to protect and defend US personnel,» Central Command spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said in a statement.

The attack was ordered by President Biden

The colonel added that the attack was in response to an August 15, 2022 attack on US forces. In that attack, drones purportedly launched by Iranian-backed militias targeted the al-Tanf garrison used by US forces. The US Central Command said at the time that the assault «caused no casualties or damage.»

US and coalition troops are based in al-Tanf to train Syrian forces on patrols to counter Islamic State group militants. The base is also located on a highway that serves as a vital link for Iranian-backed forces, stretching from Tehran to Lebanon. Filed Under: US attacks Syria

What is the US doing in Syria?

Deir Ez-Zor is a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Iranian-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area and have often been targeted by Israeli war planes in previous attacks.

US forces entered Syria in 2015, supporting allied forces in their fight against the Islamic State group. Filed Under: US attacks Syria

Are more attacks expected?

Drone strikes in al-Tanf have been rare. In October last year, US officials said they believed Iran was behind a drone strike that month in al-Tanf and said at the time they believed the strikes involved as many as five drones loaded with explosive charges.

They said the drones hit both the US side of the al-Tanf garrison and the side where Syrian opposition forces are located, according to AP information. Filed Under: US attacks Syria