US forces carried out strikes on weapons depots and a logistics center of Iran-backed armed groups in Syria on Tuesday. They responded to the launch of a rocket against American troops deployed in this country as part of the international anti-jihadist coalition. This was reported by the AFP agency last night with reference to the statements of the Pentagon and the regional command of the US Army Centcom.
This is the second series of strikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria in two days, writes AFP. On Monday, the US military hit nine similar targets in a country plagued by over 13 years of civil war. Four members of Iran-linked groups were killed in Monday’s strikes, according to the exiled Syrian Organization for Human Rights (SOHR).
The US military said on Tuesday that a missile fired at its troops did not cause any damage or injury to US or coalition troops. “These strikes will reduce the ability of Iran-backed groups to plan and execute attacks against US and coalition forces,” the Pentagon said of the US military’s retaliation.
The United States has approximately 900 troops deployed in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq as part of an international coalition formed in 2014 to fight Islamic State (IS) jihadists. This Islamist group controlled territory in eastern and northern Syria until its defeat in 2019; however, its insurgent cells remain active to this day, particularly in rural and remote areas outside major cities.
In addition, pro-Iranian armed groups in both Iraq and Syria have intensified their attacks on American interests in those countries following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Washington, the main backer of Israel in its offensive against the Palestinian terrorist movement Hamas in Gaza, has repeatedly responded with force to these attacks.
Source: www.tyden.cz
