The United States military has carried out strikes in eastern Syria in response to a series of "unsuccessful" attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups. In an official statement, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issues said the military has carried out self-defence strikes on two facilities in Syria that are being used Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups
"Today, US military forces conducted self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17. As a result of these attacks, one US citizen contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place; 21 U.S. personnel suffered from minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty," the statement read.
"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 not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests," it added.
The statement further said the US 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." The US said Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against the American forces. "We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people," it said.
US said the "narrowly tailored strikes" in self-defence were intended solely to "protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria". "They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict. We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict," the statement concluded.