Pentagon: US bombs Syria in “self-defense”

The US military has been directed by President Joe Biden to attack two locations in eastern Syria.

The Pentagon announced on Thursday that US forces had conducted several airstrikes on unidentified military locations in Syria. The action was purportedly in retaliation for recent assaults on American outposts that are illegal, carried out by armed groups that are purportedly “affiliated” with Iran.

President Joe Biden ordered “self-defense” strikes that targeted “two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)” and affiliated groups, according to Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. However, he emphasised that the strikes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict between Israeli and Palestinian militants.

He asserted in a statement that the mission was “separate and distinct” from the fighting in Gaza and that “these narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend US personnel in Iraq and Syria.”

The head of the Pentagon continued, saying that while Washington “does not seek conflict,” it would react to “attacks against US forces backed by Iran” and would take “further necessary measures to protect our people.”

With the help of a militia commanded by Kurds, up to 1,000 US forces are presently stationed in Syria, taking control of strategic oil fields and Euphrates River crossings. The Damascus government has protested on numerous occasions that their presence is against international law.

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The news on Thursday night was made just a few hours after the US military declared that it will increase its “force protection capabilities” by deploying 900 more troops to the Middle East.

Following a string of strikes in recent weeks, the Pentagon reported at least three additional attempted drone and rocket attacks against US bases throughout Iraq and Syria. The most recent attack on US personnel in Iraq occurred on Thursday, although officials say it was unsuccessful. US Central Command reports that there have been 16 instances of targeted attacks against US personnel since October 17.

Amid rising regional tensions brought on by the most recent flare-up in Gaza, Washington has also sent naval assets—two aircraft carrier strike groups and an amphibious assault ship carrying 2,000 Marines and sailors—to the Middle East.

According to officials, the deployments aim to prevent Tehran and militia groups from engaging in combat or inflaming a wider confrontation. Austin, however, maintained that the strikes in Syria do not represent a “shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict.”