Retaliatory airstrikes against a facility linked to terrorist groups supported by Iran were carried out by the US military on Wednesday in eastern Syria.
In a statement from the Pentagon on Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated, “Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense strike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.”
According to Austin, two American F-15s carried out Wednesday’s airstrike against a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria. Austin clarified that the “precision self-defense strike” was a military response to the numerous assaults on American forces in Iraq and Syria by the IRGC and other terrorist groups.
“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin stated. “The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities. We urge against any escalation. U.S. personnel will continue to conduct counter-ISIS missions in Iraq and Syria.”
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Wednesday’s airstrike in Syria is the second time in the past couple of weeks that the United States military has conducted strikes against facilities used by Iran-backed terrorist organizations in retaliation for attacks against U.S. forces. According to Military.com, various terrorist organizations in the Middle East have conducted at least 40 attacks against U.S. forces since Oct. 17.
According to Military.com, the most recent U.S. strike against an Iranian-backed facility in Syria had the dual goals of disabling terrorist groups from attacking U.S. bases and destroying weapons, ammunition, and supplies that Iran-backed terrorist groups could use to launch additional attacks against American forces in Syria and Iraq.
On Oct. 27, the U.S. military executed two strikes against Iran-backed facilities in Syria. After the October strikes, Austin stated, “The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop.”
Despite the U.S. military conducting retaliatory strikes to deter attacks against U.S. forces, terrorist organizations in the Middle East have continued to carry out both drone and rocket attacks. However, the Pentagon has reported that the most recent attacks have not resulted in significant damage or injuries.
American Military News Rephrased By: InfoArmed