US Forces Carry Out Raids Against Targets in Eastern Syria

By Al Mayadeen English

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claims the strikes are a response to a series of attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed on Thursday that the US military struck two facilities in eastern Syria allegedly used by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

"The 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," Austin said in a statement.

It is worth noting that rockets were launched toward the US base in the al-Omar oil field northeast of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, shortly after the airstrike, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.

Sources to Al Mayadeen said that 6 rockets were launched from the Syrian Dessert, specifically from the area between al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal. Furthermore, sources confirmed that the area targeted by the US airstrikes does not contain any weapons storage facilities.

One US contractor died from a cardiac incident during the attacks, and 21 US military personnel suffered "minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty," Austin added.

In his statement, Austin sought to distance the strikes from the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

"These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend US personnel in Iraq and Syria," he said.

"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," he added.

Concurrently, Al Mayadeen sources reported that US aircraft carried out two air strikes targeting the al-Mazare' area southeast of the city of al-Mayadeen, in the Deir Ezzor countryside, eastern Syria.

The sources indicated that the two airstrikes targeted points belonging to the auxiliary forces of the Syrian Arab Army, noting that this area had been subjected to American raids at the beginning of the year.

Earlier, Al Mayadeen sources reported sounds of explosions inside the US occupation Conoco Field base in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

The sources mentioned that the explosions are likely the result of the base being targeted with several rockets, with no information available yet regarding casualties.

In the past few hours, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced targeting US forces in the vicinity of Erbil International Airport in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region using two drones, confirming direct hits.

The Pentagon has acknowledged that US forces were attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria last week.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continues to target US bases in Syria and Iraq, coinciding with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which entered its 21st day.

On Thursday, a missile attack targeted US forces in al-Shaddadi, in the eastern Syrian province of al-Hasakah.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said on Wednesday it targeted the US occupation Kharab al-Jir base in northeastern Syria with a salvo of rockets.

A couple of days ago, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for targeting the al-Omar oil field base in the countryside of Deir Ezzor and the al-Shaddadi US occupation bases in Syria using drones, confirming direct hits.

The Resistance also claimed responsibility for targeting the al-Tanf base and other US occupation bases in the vicinity of the al-Rukban camp, noting that the strike was carried out by two drones.

The Islamic resistance in Iraq also announced targeting the al-Malikiyah base in Syria with a drone.

Furthermore, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has targeted US occupation bases in Iraqi territory several times, including the Ain al-Assad base in Baghdad and the Harir base in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

On its part, the US Central Command confirmed on Wednesday that 24 American troops were injured during a series of drone attacks targeting its bases in Syria and Iraq last week.

Since day one of the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, and in response to the United States declaring full support to the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, Iraqi Resistance factions declared that all US bases within reach had become legitimate targets, especially those in Iraq.

On October 18, the military spokesperson for the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah, Jaafar al-Husseini, announced that the Iraqi Resistance has joined Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and is directing its strikes against US bases in the region.