U.S. airstrikes targeted several Iranian-backed militias in Deir Ez-Zor, eastern Syria. The military said the raid was in response to an Aug. 15 attack targeting U.S. forces. That attack saw drones allegedly launched by Iranian-backed militias target the al-Tanf Garrison used by American forces.
No Americans were injured in that strike, and there was no confirmation of any casualties from the U.S. attack yesterday.
The militias the U.S. targeted were backed and probably commanded by officers of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activist collective Deir EzZor 24 said the airstrikes targeted the Ayash Camp run by the Fatimiyoun group made up of Shiite fighters from Afghanistan.
Nine ammunition and storage bunkers in Deir al-Zour province were hit early on Wednesday, US military officials said.
Activists said six guards were killed, while Iran denied links to the targets.
President Joe Biden ordered the strikes “to defend and protect US forces” in Syria following several attacks on them blamed on Iran-backed groups.
On 15 August, two drones attacked the al-Tanf Garrison, in the southern desert, and rockets landed near the Green Village base in Deir al-Zour. Neither attack caused any casualties.
About US 1,000 troops are operating out of the bases, without the permission of the Syrian government, as part of the US-led global coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).
The troops are there ostensibly to prevent the resurrection of ISIS, which Syria and elements of the Kurdish militias have thoroughly beaten down. Why they need 1,000 Americans in harm’s way has never been explained to the American people.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani insisted the sites targeted “had no links to the Islamic Republic” and called the attack “a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The strikes come a day after Iranian state media reported that an IRGC general had been killed while “on a mission” in Syria.
They said Abolfazl Alijani was working as a military adviser but gave no details about the circumstances of his death.
Right now, those 1,000 Americans are sitting ducks. It begs the question: what good are they doing? Biden loves to talk about the “over-the-horizon” defense of Afghanistan after his botched withdrawal. How about an over-the-horizon defense of Syria?
If the goal is to prevent terrorists from rising again in Afghanistan, why not Syria too? We don’t have 1,000 troops in Afghanistan. We don’t need them, and they wouldn’t be welcome.
The Syrian government tolerates our presence in Syria because frankly, they’re unable to do anything about it. Not so the Taliban in Afghanistan. The fact is, American troops are in Syria to prevent Iran from becoming too powerful. And that doesn’t seem like a justification to risk American lives.
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