U.S. strikes in Syria after drone attack killed American contractor, wounded five troops

 U.S. strikes in Syria after drone attack killed American contractor, wounded five troops

The U.S. military carried out multiple airstrikes in Syria on Thursday night against Iran-aligned groups whom it blamed for a deadly drone attack that killed an American contractor, injured another and wounded five U.S. troops earlier in the day.

Both attacks on U.S. personnel and the retaliation were disclosed by the Pentagon at the same time late on Thursday.

The attack against U.S. personnel took place at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. on Thursday, it said.

The U.S. intelligence community assessed that the one-way attack drone was Iranian in origin, the military said, a conclusion that could further aggravate already strained tensions between Washington and Tehran.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the retaliatory strikes were carried out at the direction of President Joe Biden and targeted facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps IRGC, according to Reuters.

"The air strikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC," Austin said in a statement.

"No group will strike our troops with impunity."

Following the drone attack, three service members and a contractor required medical evacuation to Iraq, where the U.S.-led coalition battling the remnants of Islamic State has medical facilities, the military said.

The other two wounded American troops were treated at the base in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said.

The number of casualties - one killed and six wounded - is highly unusual, even though attempted drone attacks against U.S. personnel in Syria are somewhat common.

U.S. troops have come under attack by Iranian-backed groups about 78 times since the beginning of 2021, according to Army General Erik Kurilla, who oversees U.S. troops in the Middle East as the head of Central Command.

Kurilla, testifying to the House Armed Services Committee earlier on Thursday, cautioned about Iran's fleet of drones.

"The Iranian regime now holds the largest and most capable unmanned aerial vehicle force in the region," he said.

Three drones targeted a U.S. base in January in Syria's Al-Tanf region. The U.S. military said two of the drones were shot down while the remaining drone hit the compound, injuring two members of the Syrian Free Army forces.

U.S. officials believe drone and rocket attacks are being directed by Iran-backed militia, a reminder of the complex geopolitics of Syria where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad counts on support from Iran and Russia and sees U.S. troops as occupiers.

The attack came just weeks after the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, visited northeast Syria to assess the mission against Islamic State and the risk to U.S. personnel.SAHARA REPORTERS