After a deadly attack, Washington’s response was quick. Eight pro-Iranian fighters were killed in US airstrikes in eastern Syria overnight from Thursday to Friday, carried out following a drone strike that killed an American and injured six others.
US intelligence services consider the drone to be “of Iranian origin”, according to the Pentagon. “American strikes targeted an arms depot in the town of Deir Ezzor, killing six pro-Iranian fighters,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), based in the United Kingdom but which has from an extensive network of sources in Syria.
“Two other fighters were killed by strikes on positions of Iranian groups near Mayadine and on another near al-Boukamal,” added this NGO. Iranian groups and their allies, who are fighting alongside the regime in Damascus, are strongly established in these regions near the border with Iraq, which constitute an important crossing point for arms bound for Syria.
One American killed, five wounded
The drone attack took place early Thursday afternoon against a maintenance facility at a base near Hassakeh, the Pentagon said in a statement. The deceased is an American contractor, and the injured are five soldiers and another contractor who are also American, according to the same source.
“I have authorized United States Central Command forces to conduct precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the statement said. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, quoted in press release.
“The airstrikes were carried out in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks on coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps,” he said. he specified. Several hundred American soldiers are in Syria as part of a coalition fighting against the remnants of the Islamic State (IS) group. They are frequently targeted in attacks by militias.