U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria were targeted by suspected Iranian-backed militias, and they responded in kind.
The insurgents fired eight rounds of indirect fire at the Green Village base, a Syrian Democratic Forces base with a small coalition presence, on Wednesday. The coalition reported no casualties, though there was minor damage.
The coalition forces responded “swiftly and fired six rounds of artillery” toward where they believe the attack originated from shortly thereafter, according to a statement. They also accused the insurgents of firing the attack from “within civilian infrastructure with no regard for civilian safety.”
“The coalition reserves the right to preserve itself and join forces that oppose any risk and will continue to do everything in its power to protect the forces,” said Maj. Gen. John W. Brennan Jr. , commander of the Combined Joint Task Force. — Resolution inherent in the operation. “Our coalition continues to see risks opposed to our forces in Iraq and Syria through Iranian-backed militias. These attacks are a damaging distraction from our coalition’s shared project of advising, lending a hand and allowing spouses’ forces to endure the enduring defeat of Daesh. “
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Wednesday’s coup came a day after the U. S. military made moves in Syria after an oblique chimney near the base posed “an imminent threat” to troops.
“Hours before the attack, Coalition forces observed several launch sites of indirect fire rockets that posed an imminent threat in the vicinity of Green Village,” the statement said. “Acting in self-defense, Coalition forces conducted several strikes to eliminate the observed threats.”
Earlier in the day, the United States also shot down two drones heading to the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, the Iraqi prime minister said, according to CNN.
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“They clearly are at risk in the region,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Monday, referring to the U.S. troops remaining in Syria and Iraq. “We have consistently been concerned about the threats to our forces in Iraq by militias backed by Iran. That is not a new concern. And I think we’ve seen in just the last few days that there have been acts perpetrated by some of these groups that validate the consistent concern that we’ve had over safety and security of our people.”
While it’s unclear whether the recent attacks are related to the assassination of former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The two-year anniversary of the strike that killed him is this week.