18 Killed As US Launches Retaliatory Airstrikes Against Iran-Linked Targets In Syria, Iraq

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, the US airstrikes on Friday killed at least 18 pro-Iran fighters.

Heavy duty machine removes debris of a destroyed building after Israel's airstrike in Damascus, Syria. ( Image Source :Getty Images )

New Delhi: The United States military on Friday launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, targeting over 85 locations associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and its supported militias, news agency Reuters reported. This action was in response to the recent attack in Jordan, which resulted in the death of three U.S. troops.

These air attacks, involving the deployment of long-range B-1 bombers from the U.S., marked the initial phase of a multi-faceted response by President Joe Biden's administration to the attack carried out in Jordan.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, the US airstrikes on Friday killed at least 18 pro-Iran fighters.

Although the airstrikes did not focus on sites within Iran, they indicate a heightened escalation of tensions in the Middle East, amid Israel's conflict with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

The targeted locations included command and control centres, rocket and missile facilities, drone storage sites, as well as logistics and munition supply chain facilities, according to a statement from the U.S. military, as reported by Reuters.

The US military confirmed hitting more than 85 targets across seven locations between Syria and Iraq. The airstrikes specifically aimed at the Quds Force, the foreign espionage and paramilitary arm of the IRGC, which holds significant influence over allied militias throughout the Middle East, spanning from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria, according to Reuters.

As per US Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of the Joint Staff, the attacks appeared to be successful, causing substantial secondary explosions as the bombs struck militant weaponry.

According to the Syrian Defence Ministry, the "blatant air aggression" of the US troops led to a number of civilian and soldier casualties and some significant damage to public and private property, Reuters reported.

"Occupying parts of Syrian lands by American forces cannot continue ... the Syrian army affirms continuing its war against terrorism until it is eliminated and is determined to liberate the entire Syrian territories from terrorism and occupation," the Syrian ministry said in a statement on Saturday, reported the news agency.