WASHINGTON (AP) — Iranian drone attacks US military base The incident, which killed a contractor and injured several U.S. service members in northeastern Syria, was just the latest in a growing number of attacks against U.S. forces in Syria. However, its lethality was rare. In most recent cases, such attacks have resulted in no casualties to U.S. forces.
Thursday’s attack by a small suicide drone triggered a series of retaliatory bombings, and the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Eric Kurilla, quickly warned that the U.S. stands ready to launch further attacks if necessary.
U.S. troops have been in Syria since 2015, but the latest casualties are part of the U.S. counterterrorism mission aimed at countering Iranian-backed militias and preventing a resurgence of Islamic State. It highlights how this has been done consistently, but often quietly.
Let’s take a look at the US military presence in Syria.
It all started with the Islamic State group
At least 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria at any given time, along with an undisclosed number of contractors. U.S. special operations forces also fly in and out of the country, but they are usually organized in small teams and are not included in official counts.
They are trying to stop the resurgence of the Islamic State group, which swept through Iraq and Syria in 2014 and seized vast swathes of territory.
For years, the United States and its allies have been working with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to fight IS in Iraq and Syria. Although the United States declared the collapse of the Islamic State caliphate by 2019, the Islamic State’s remaining population, including about 10,000 fighters held in detention facilities in Syria and tens of thousands of families living in refugee camps, remains The force remains a threat.
The U.S. military has advised and supported the Self-Defense Forces, including securing detention facilities, and has also carried out counterterrorism missions against Islamic State and other al-Qaeda-affiliated militant groups, as well as attacks on Iranian-backed militias that attacked U.S. facilities. Is going.
Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, also operates in the country, but the United States and Russia have used deconfliction lines to avoid conflict.
Another reason the US remains in Syria is Iran
Tehran’s political influence and the strength of its militias throughout the region pose security concerns for the United States. Since the defeat of the Islamic State group, Iranian-backed fighters have expanded their influence in the region.
The U.S. military presence in Syria makes it more difficult for Iran to bring weapons into Lebanon for use by Lebanese Hezbollah and other proxies against Israel.
For example, the al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria is located on a key road linking Iranian-backed forces from Tehran to southern Lebanon and the gateway to Israel. As such, troops in U.S. garrisons could block what could be Iran’s uncontested land bridge to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Syria’s oil-rich eastern Syria province of Deir el-Zour, where some of the recent US attacks took place, is located along that strategic route. Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed allied groups are deployed on the west bank of the Euphrates River in Deir el-Zour, while U.S. forces are primarily supporting the allied SDF along the east bank.
What happened in the latest attack?
A small suicide bomber (also known as a kamikazi) drone flew low over the fence and into the base, striking a maintenance facility where U.S. troops and contractors were working. It did not fire, but exploded on impact.
One American contractor was killed and five U.S. military personnel and one contractor were injured. One of the service members returned to duty, and the other wounded person was transferred out of Syria for treatment. Contractors are often used to assist with maintenance and logistics.
U.S. officials blame Iran, pointing to the drone debris, multiple intelligence threat streams and the fact that the attack was very similar to previous attacks by insurgents. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military operation.
In retaliation, U.S. F-15 fighter jets from Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base struck near Deir el-Zour, targeting an Iranian-backed militia believed to be responsible for the attack. The number of reported casualties varies and the US does not acknowledge the numbers.
In an apparent response to these US airstrikes, 10 rockets were fired at a US military base known as Green Village on Friday. There were no injuries. Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said the rockets were fired by a group associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, but stopped short of blaming Iran for the U.S. casualties.
Are our troops not protected?
The United States maintains the security of all its bases, but steadfastly refuses to provide details. Reporters traveling in Syria, including those for the Associated Press, frequently see a variety of security measures in place, from fences and other barricades to more high-tech radar and other sensors.
Asked about information that one of the base’s radars was not working, Ryder said there was no complete gap in radar capability, saying, “We had perfect visibility in terms of radar.”
However, Iranian drones pose a serious and growing threat to Syria. Kurilla told Congress that the Iranian government is developing increasingly sophisticated drones and now has an arsenal ranging from small short-range systems to long-range unidirectional attack platforms. Ta.
Iran is also providing drones to Russia for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
previous skirmish
One of the deadliest flare-ups between the US and Iranian-backed groups occurred in December 2019, when US military strikes in Iraq and Syria forced 25 fighters from the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Katab Hezbollah One person was killed and others were injured. The United States blamed the group for the airstrike in retaliation for the death of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base.
In August 2022, the United States conducted attacks targeting Iranian-backed militias in Deir Ezzor province. The Pentagon said the attack was aimed at sending a message to Iran, which the United States blames for many drone attacks. Targeted the al-Tanf garrison. The base was also attacked in January, when three suicide drones struck and injured two Syrian opposition fighters. The United States once again asserted that the attack was carried out by groups supporting Iran.
Israel has also attacked Iranian targets in eastern Syria, but rarely claims responsibility. In November 2022, a tanker truck crossing from Iraq into eastern Syria was bombed. The convoy was reportedly carrying fuel and weapons to militia groups in Deir el-Zour. The United States denied involvement, but Israeli military officials later strongly suggested that Israel was behind the attack. ___
Associated Press writers Bassem Mourou, Kareem Chehaib and Abby Sewell in Beirut and Tara Kopp in Washington contributed to this report.
