US carries out air strikes in Syria after American contractor is killed

WASHINGTON – The United States military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria on Thursday evening against Iran-aligned groups it blamed for a deadly drone attack that killed an American contractor, injured another and wounded five US troops earlier in the day.

The American personnel were attacked at a coalition base near Al-Hasakah in north-east Syria on Thursday.

The US intelligence community assessed that the one-way attack drone was Iranian in origin, a conclusion that could further aggravate already strained tensions between Washington and Teheran.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the retaliatory strikes were carried out at the direction of President Joe Biden and targeted facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

“The air strikes were conducted in response to today’s attack, as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” Mr Austin said in a statement.

“No group will strike our troops with impunity,” he added.

The drone attack caused wounds that, for three service members and a contractor, required medical evacuation to Iraq.

The other two wounded American troops were treated at the base in north-east Syria.

The number of casualties – one killed and six wounded – is highly unusual, even though attempted drone attacks against US personnel in Syria are somewhat common.

US troops have come under attack by Iranian-backed groups about 78 times since the beginning of 2021, according to Army General Erik Kurilla who oversees US troops in the Middle East as the head of Central Command.

Gen Kurilla, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee earlier on Thursday, cautioned about Iran’s fleet of drones.

“The Iranian regime now holds the largest and most capable unmanned aerial vehicle force in the region,” he said.

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Three drones targeted a US base in January in Syria’s Al-Tanf region.

The US military said two of the drones were shot down, while the remaining drone hit the compound injuring two members of the Syrian Free Army forces.

US officials believe drone and rocket attacks are being directed by Iran-backed militia, a reminder of the complex geopolitics of Syria, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad counts on support from Iran and Russia, and sees US troops as occupiers.

The attack came just weeks after top US General Mark Milley visited north-east Syria to assess the mission against the Islamic State and the risk to US personnel.

Asked by reporters travelling with him at the time if he believed the deployment of roughly 900 US troops to Syria was worth the risk, Gen Milley tied the mission to the security of the US and its allies, saying: “If you think that that’s important, then the answer is ‘Yes.’”

“I happen to think that’s important,” he said.