Status: 09.11.2023, 21:43 PM
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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasizes that it was a precision strike for self-defense. © Boris Roessler/dpa
For weeks, pro-Iranian militias have been attacking U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, and there are again counterattacks. There is great concern about an expansion of the Gaza war.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has carried out another airstrike in eastern Syria in response to recent strikes by pro-Iranian militias.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the target was a weapons cache used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and its allies. At the end of October, the U.S. had already carried out airstrikes against two similar targets in eastern Syria. This exacerbates concerns that the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas could escalate into a larger conflict.
Following the recent US military airstrike, American targets in Syria and Iraq have been attacked. U.S. Defense Department Deputy Spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said there had been four more attacks on U.S. forces in the region since the U.S. airstrike on a weapons depot in eastern Syria the day before: one in Iraq and three in Syria. The number of such attacks on military bases with US soldiers in the two countries since mid-October now stands at 46, with 24 attacks in Iraq and 22 in Syria.
A total of 56 people were slightly injured. All of them are now back on duty. "None of our soldiers were seriously injured," Singh said. "And our infrastructure at the bases that were attacked did not suffer any significant damage. For the most part, these attacks were unsuccessful."
Security situation tense
Because of the Gaza war, which began with the attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas on October 7, the security situation in the entire region is tense. As a deterrent, the U.S. has, among other things, deployed more weapons systems as well as warships and air force squadrons to the eastern Mediterranean and sent several hundred troops to the region. The Islamist Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, is part of a series of militant groups that are supported by Iran in the region, including with weapons, but also financially.
Austin emphasized that it was a precision strike in self-defense, which was a response to the recent attacks against U.S. forces in the region. U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the action to make it clear that the United States was defending itself, its personnel and its interests. The U.S. is prepared to take further necessary measures to protect its own population and facilities. "We strongly advise against any escalation," he warned. Dpa