The US is flying warplanes to attack bases in eastern Syria. US troops have recently come under attack from Iran-backed forces in Iraq and Syria.
The US carried out a second strike on a weapons depot in eastern Syria on Wednesday. According to the Pentagon, the arsenal was used by the Iran-backed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and related groups.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes by two US F-15 fighter jets on the weapons depot were in response to recent attacks on US forces in the region.
“If attacks by Iranian proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further steps necessary to protect our people,” Austin said.
The US has counted 40 attacks on troops in Iraq and Syria
US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 40 times by Iranian-backed forces since early October. 45 American soldiers were wounded.
900 troops are stationed in Syria and 2,500 in neighboring Iraq. Together with local forces, they are trying to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State (IS), which seized large swaths of both countries in 2014 but has since been defeated. (Reuters)
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