At the very least 6 Kurdish fighters are killed in a drone assault on a Syrian base housing US troops
BEIRUT (AP) — A drone assault on a base housing U.S. troops in jap Syria killed six allied Kurdish fighters late Sunday, within the first important assault in Syria or Iraq for the reason that U.S. launched retaliatory strikes over the weekend in opposition to Iran-backed militias which have been focusing on its forces within the area.
The U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces stated Monday the assault hit a coaching floor at al-Omar base in Syria’s jap province of Deir el-Zour, the place the forces’ commando items are educated. No casualties have been reported amongst U.S. troops.
An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, dubbed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, launched a video claiming accountability for the assault and displaying them launching a drone from an unspecified location.
In late January, a drone attack by the same group killed three U.S. troops and wounded dozens extra at a desert base in Jordan. The U.S. army launched dozens of retaliatory strikes focusing on Iran-backed militant teams in western Iraq and jap Syria and likewise struck the Houthis in Yemen.
The SDF initially accused “Syrian regime-backed mercenaries” of finishing up Sunday’s assault however in a second assertion blamed “Iran-backed militias” after investigating the assault.
The umbrella group has launched dozens of drone assaults on U.S. army bases and troops in Iraq and Syria, and has known as for the withdrawal of American troopers from each international locations.
The assault comes as tensions flare throughout the Center East amid the Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked by Hamas’ rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
In the meantime, Britain-based opposition struggle monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated at the very least seven SDF fighters have been killed within the assault on Sunday and at the very least 18 others wounded, some in crucial situation.
The assault late Sunday got here two days after the U.S. army carried out strikes in opposition to militant targets linked to Iran in Syria and Iraq.
The SDF stated it has the fitting to reply to the assault.
The U.S. army stated it struck four anti-ship missiles on Sunday that have been ready to be fired at vessels within the Purple Sea from Houthi rebel-controlled areas in Yemen.
In an announcement early Monday, the U.S. Central Command stated the strikes have been in self-defense and got here after forces decided the missiles “introduced an imminent menace to U.S. Navy ships and service provider vessels within the area.”
Sunday’s strikes got here a day after the U.S. and Britain launched a second wave of strikes in opposition to the Houthis, meant to degrade the Iranian-backed group’ capabilities to assault vessels within the Purple Sea. The U.S. and Britain stated they hit 36 Houthi targets.
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Related Press reporter Samy Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.
