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Al-Tanf: Attack on US base in the Syrian desert

2023-01-20T20:55:15.081Z


The attack came from the air - and presumably from men who get their orders from Iran: The US military base al-Tanf was attacked with drones. Meanwhile, Russia announces talks between Ankara and Damascus.


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US soldiers in Syria

Photo: Delil Souleiman/ AFP

A US military base in Syria has been attacked by drones.

Two Syrian fighters supported by Washington were injured, the responsible regional command of the US military (Centcom) said on Friday.

Two drones were shot down, but one crashed into the al-Tanf base.

It was initially unclear who launched the attack.

The Syrian Observatory reported several casualties in connection with the attack.

The activists therefore assumed that militias allied with Iran were behind it.

These militias are active in Syria and neighboring Iraq and have attacked US troops in the past.

The small US outpost at al-Tanf is located in southern Syria near the borders with Jordan and Iraq.

The Iranian regime also supplies the Lebanese Hezbollah militia with weapons for fighting in Syria and for fighting Israel over land - and this land route passes directly by al-Tanf.

From al-Tanf, US troops are supporting opposition forces in the fight against the terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS).

According to the Syrian Observatory, the region was last attacked with drones in the summer of last year - but they missed the US base at the time.

Lavrov announces trilateral meeting of foreign ministers on Syria

Meanwhile, something is happening on another of the many Syrian fronts: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced a meeting with his counterparts from Ankara and Damascus to settle the Syrian issue.

"Turkey, as you know, is committed to normalizing relations with Damascus," Lavrov said at a recent televised press conference.

Russia was asked to mediate between the two neighbors.

Therefore, a meeting of foreign ministers is now being prepared, Lavrov said.

Relations between Ankara and Damascus are considered tense.

Turkey partially occupies border regions in northern Syria and supports rebels in the Syrian civil war.

"One of the biggest problems is Idlib," Lavrov said.

Turkey must separate the pro-Turkish forces from the Nusra Front, which Moscow and Damascus classify as terrorist.

Joint Turkish-Russian patrols along the highway to Aleppo have not worked either, the 73-year-old said.

After nearly twelve years of international civil war, Syria lies in ruins.

According to the UN emergency aid office Ocha, more than 15 million people are dependent on help, 90 percent of the population live in poverty.

In the conflict, Russia is the most important ally of President Bashar al-Assad's government, which after years of fighting now controls most of the country again.

dop/dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2023-01-20

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