The U.S. military conducted an airstrike against what it described as a weapons storage facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria.
Two U.S. F-15 aircraft carried out the “precision self-defense strike” on Wednesday, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described it in a statement, though he did not comment on whether the strike was successful or if there were any casualties. This is the second time the United States has conducted this type of strike in recent weeks.
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U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria that are there to counter ISIS have been attacked via one-way attack drones or rockets about 40 times by Iranian proxies in the region since Oct. 7, the day of the terrorist attacks in Israel that erupted Middle Eastern tension.
Forty-five U.S. troops reported injuries in attacks at al Asad Air Base in Iraq and at al Tanf garrison in Syria on Oct. 17 and 18, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Monday. One other person was injured in an attack at Erbil Air Base in Iraq. 25 of those troops reported traumatic brain injuries, while 21 reported nonserious nonhead injuries.
Two troops returned to duty only to be taken later to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the largest American military hospital outside the United States, for additional care. Both are in stable condition.
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes against an IRGC weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage area in Syria on Oct. 26.
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“Let’s be clear: Iran is responsible,” a senior military official told reporters at the time. “I want to emphasize that the United States does not seek conflict, nor do we desire further hostilities; however, the Iran-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must cease. We are prepared to take further measures to protect our people if necessary.”
The U.S. has surged personnel and equipment to the Middle East following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel and the subsequent war between Israel and Hamas. U.S. defense officials have said the intent is to deter Israel’s adversaries in the region, mainly Iran, from getting directly involved in and expanding the conflict.
