WASHINGTON: The United States, for the second time in recent weeks, carried out strikes on Wednesday against a weapon storage facility in eastern Syria that the Pentagon said was used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.
As tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas conflict, US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces since the start of October.
Forty-five US troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds.
In a statement, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes were conducted by two US F-15 fighters and were in response to the recent attacks against US forces. Austin said the attacks against US troops must stop.
“If attacks by Iran’s proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people,” Austin added.
A senior US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the military had watched the location in Deir al Zor province for some time and was confident there were no civilian casualties.
The official said the military had tracked a “couple” of people near the facility overnight, though they were not believed to be civilians and an analysis was ongoing to see if anyone was killed.
The United States has occasionally carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed forces in the region after they attack American forces.
On October 26, US forces attacked two facilities used by the IRGC and groups its backs.
The United States has 900 troops in Syria, and 2,500 more in neighbouring Iraq, on a mission to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of both countries but was later defeated.