Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US edition

https://vidostream.com


US military carries out strike in Syria on Iran-linked targets

The strikes came even as the United States aimed to respond to a draft agreement proposed by the European Union that would bring back the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran
(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

The US military said it carried out air strikes on Tuesday in Syria's Deir al-Zor against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The strikes came even as the United States aimed to respond to a draft agreement proposed by the European Union that would bring back the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that former President Donald Trump abandoned and current President Joe Biden has sought to revive.
 

"The president gave the direction for these strikes."

Army Colonel Joe Buccino


The military's Central Command said in a statement that such strikes were aimed at protecting US forces from attack by Iran-backed groups.

It cited one such incident on August 15, which Reuters has reported involved drone attack on a compound run by coalition and US-backed Syrian opposition fighters, with no casualties.
 

 Syrian Democratic Forces flag flutters on a damaged building in the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria, on March 23, 2019 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)
Syrian Democratic Forces flag flutters on a damaged building in the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria, on March 23, 2019 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)


"The president gave the direction for these strikes," said spokesman Army Colonel Joe Buccino.

Central Command called the strikes a "proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties."

The statement about Tuesday's US strike did not mention whether there were any casualties and did not say whether the air strikes were carried out by manned or unmanned aircraft.

History of US operations in Iraq and Syria 

This is not the first time US warplanes have struck Iran-backed forces in Iraq and Syria. The United States hit operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq in June last year.

[Photos] Gilligan's Island' Star is Almost 103 And He's Still AroundSponsored by Wordsa

US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama's administration's campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. There are about 900 US troops in Syria, most of them in the east.

But Iran-backed militias established a foothold in Syria while fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's civil war.

Iranian-backed militias are heavily concentrated west of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province, where they get supplies from Iraq through the al-Bukamal border crossing.

Author: Editors Desk

Source: The Jerusalem Post

You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second