The US military announced on Thursday August 25 that it had killed four pro-Iranian fighters in eastern Syria in 24 hours, during an operation intended to deter armed groups supported by Iran from continuing to attack Syria. its bases in the region.
"I ordered the August 23 strikes in order to protect and defend the security of our forces...and to deter Iran and Iran-backed armed groups from again attacking the forces and American positions,”
President Joe Biden said in a message to Congress.
The American strikes originally targeted only ammunition stocks to remain
“proportional”
, underlined Joe Biden.
Read alsoThe US army says it responded to rocket fire targeting it in Syria
But the pro-Iranian fighters tried to retaliate the next day by attacking the positions of American forces at the Conoco site and that of Green Village, in the Deir-Ezzor region, and came up against a new barrage of American soldiers, according to the account of United States military officials.
On Tuesday, the United States announced that it had bombed pro-Iranian militia bases in the east of the country.
The bombardment targeted nine bunkers used in particular for the storage of ammunition.
US forces had planned to bomb 11 of the 13 bunkers in the complex but halted strikes on two of them after groups of people were seen in their vicinity.
This operation was in response to two attacks carried out on August 15 against American positions, which Washington had attributed to pro-Iranian armed groups on the basis of debris from Iranian drones discovered on the spot.
Iran then denied any link with these armed groups.
The August 15 attacks did not cause casualties among American forces and the United States decided to respond by avoiding casualties among pro-Iranian fighters, Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder.
“We made the decision to respond proportionately for deterrence purposes
,” he said.
We believe that this recent escalation has come to an end.
»
A US official
But on Wednesday, the militants returned to the charge and tried again to approach with rocket launchers.
They were spotted and the US military hit them before they could attack, according to the spokesman.
Three vehicles and the equipment used to launch some of the rockets were destroyed, but several firefights ensued.
At the end of the clashes, the American army counted four dead among the pro-Iranian fighters and three minor injuries in its ranks, according to General Ryder.
A first press release published on Wednesday evening mentioned
"two or three people suspected of being militants supported by Iran and having carried out one of the attacks killed".
US forces used AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, AC-130 ground attack aircraft and M777 heavy artillery, according to US military command for the Middle East, Centcom.
On Thursday, US forces considered the clashes over.
"We no longer have forces in contact" with the enemy, said an American official who requested anonymity.
“We believe this recent escalation has come to an end
,” he added.
Read alsoSyria: American bombardment against pro-Iranian militias
"The United States has taken this necessary and proportionate action, consistent with international law, under its right to self-defense
," Biden said.
“The United States stands ready to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to respond to new threats or attacks
,” added the American president.
Hundreds of American soldiers are deployed in northeastern Syria as part of the anti-jihadist coalition responsible for fighting, with its Kurdish allies from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the remnants of the Islamic State (IS) group.
