Syria: U.S launches airstrikes against Iran-linked militia

The United States military said it conducted airstrikes in Syria on Tuesday, targeting groups with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG).

The U.S military’s Central Command said in a statement that the airstrikes in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour were carried out at President Biden’s direction.

The Central Command called the strikes a “proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties.”

“The president gave the direction for these strikes,” spokesman Army Colonel Joe Buccino said.

The military’s Central Command also said the airstrikes are aimed at protecting U.S. forces from attack by Iran-backed groups.

It cited one such attack by Iran-backed groups on August 15, involving a drone attack on a compound run by coalition and U.S.-backed Syrian opposition fighters, with no casualties.

This is not the first time U.S. warplanes have struck Iran-backed forces in Iraq and Syria.

The United States hit operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq in June last year.

Also Read:Strikes paralyse London transport network  

U.S. forces first deployed into Syria during Obama’s administration’s campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

There are about 900 U.S. troops in Syria, most of them in the east.

Iran-backed militias established a foothold in Syria while fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s civil war.

Iran-backed militias are heavily concentrated west of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province, where they get supplies from Iraq through the al-Bukamal border crossing.

Zainab Sa’id