US forces in Iraq, Syria attacked 13 times in a week, two dozen military personnel injured
US forces in Iraq
American and its allied forces in Iraq and Syria were targeted at least 13 times with drones and rockets over the past week, said the Pentagon on Tuesday (Oct 24). This comes a day after the United States accused Iran of “actively facilitating” rocket and drone attacks on its forces in the two countries.
A report by NBC News, on Tuesday, said that two dozen American military personnel were wounded during these attacks.
Meanwhile, armed factions close to Iran have reportedly threatened US interests over Washington’s staunch support for Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack in southern Israel on October 7.
Over a dozen attacks against American forces
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder, referring to the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) militant group, told journalists that between October 17 and 24, “US and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria”.
He also went on to describe the attacks and said they were conducted with a “mix of one-way attack drones and rockets”.
However, the Pentagon spokesperson did not identify the specific organisations responsible but said that the “groups conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and the Iranian regime.”
“What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against US forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces, and ultimately from Iran,” said Ryder.
On Monday (Oct 23), Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, claimed responsibility for these attacks.
Over 20 American personnel sustained injuries
The US Central Command or CENTCOM told NBC News that at least 20 American personnel sustained minor injuries on October 18 during a one-way drone attack on the al-Tanf military base in southern Syria, adding that one of the drones was shot down.
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The CENTCOM also said that all wounded personnel had returned to duty and there was no further damage to the military base.
NBC News was also told that on the same day, four American personnel suffered minor injuries during two separate drone attacks against American and coalition forces stationed at al-Asad base in western Iraq.
The US shot down the one-way drones, the debris from which destroyed a hangar that contained small aircraft, said CENTCOM.
The US has stationed some 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq to combat IS.
(With inputs from agencies)
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