Iran-backed Islamist terror outfits strike US base in Syria again

If reports are to be believed, the pro-Iranian terror outfits have once again struck the US military base ofKharab al-Jir in Syria. The attack took place on Friday (Dec 29) afternoon and follows the pattern of an intensified campaign of violence by the Islamist groups that want a spillover in regional tension.

Previously, theKharab al-Jir base was attacked in October on two consecutive days. At the time, the attacks were claimed by groups either directly controlled by Tehran or sharing the ideology of other groups currently fighting Israel.

The fresh attackcomes in the backdrop ofthe USmilitary carrying out retaliatory strikes in Iraq after three American soldiers were wounded in a drone attack on December 26 by Iran-aligned terrorists.

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A US base in Iraq's Erbil that houses American forces came under attack from a one-way drone earlier on Monday (Dec 25), leaving one soldier in critical condition. The retaliatory attacks were carried out at the discretion of US President Joe Biden.

"These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks. We will always protect our forces," saidGeneral Michael Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command.

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The White House has accusedIran of “actively facilitating” rocket and drone attacks on its forces in Iraq and Syria.President Joe Biden has since directed the Department of Defense to brace forsimilar attacks and respond appropriately

“Iran continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah, and we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran,” said White House spokesman John Kirby at the time.

Despite US retaliation, the continuous attacks by Iran-backed non-state actors suggests that Tehran has an extensivenetwork of well-armed, aggressive and well-coordinated proxies across the region which it has established for exactly this scenario.

(With inputs from agencies)