Washington, United States: A strike was carried out by the United States warplanes on an Iran-linked weapons storage facility located in eastern Syria on Wednesday, stated Defense Secretary of the United States Lloyd Austin. He further briefed that this attack was carried out against the personnel of America.
According to the data shared by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this strike killed around nine (9) people – who suspectedly belong to Iran-back groups.
United States attack at locations in Syria
According to the reports by AFP, in around two weeks, this is the second time that the military forces of the United States have attacked or targeted a location backed by Iran in Syria.
The authorities of the US, on several platforms, claimed that it has been stopping Iran and its proxies from turning the Israel-Hamas conflict into a regional war. However, the continuous attacks may become the reason behind the conflict between Washington and Tehran.
In reports by AFP, Austin stated, “US military forces conducted a self-defense strike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. This strike was conducted by two US F-15s against a weapons storage facility.”
“This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates,” he added and further continued that the United States “is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities.”
Don’t attack, escalate the issue, says US Defense Official
An anonymous senior US Defense official stated that the recent strike was being combined “with very clear messaging through multiple channels. And the message is, to Iranian senior leaders, ‘We want you to direct your proxies and militia groups to stop attacking us.’”
The efforts of the Islamic State Group have been prevented by around 2,500 and 900 US troops in Iraq and Syria, respectively.
The tension was raised after the Jihadists, who once held the territory in both countries, were pushed back by the local forces – with the assistance of international air strikes.
US’ MQ-9 Drone shot down
Reportedly, another incident has taken place in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war. Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen attacked an American drone named MQ-9 on Wednesday.
The forces, in a released statement, outlined, “Our air defenses were able to down an American MQ-9 while it was carrying out hostile surveillance and espionage activities in Yemeni territorial waters as part of American military support for Israel.”
According to the reports by the news agency AFP, the details regarding the downing of one of the drones of the United States were confirmed by the Defence Forces of the US. It is to be noted that the American military rushed to assist Israel in the counterattack to Hamas militants.
Houthi Forces
Reportedly, the government forces in Yemen oppose the Houthi and the group is also added to the “axis of resistance” of groups arrayed against Israel, noted news agency AP. They have attacked Israel during its conflict with Hamas, according to the leaders of the group.
MQ-9 Drone
The reports have suggested that in recent years, a series of MQ-9 drones have been shot down – including one by Houthi forces in the year 2019.
The drone can fly at a height of more than 1,100 miles (1,700 kilometers) at altitudes of 50,000 feet (15,000 meters). It can be used for surveillance as well as strikes.