US strikes 2 sites ‘used by Iranian troops’ in Syria

October 27, 2023 21 Views No Comment

October 27 (ANI) The United States military on Friday launched air strikes on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

A statement by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III read: ‘Today, US military forces conducted self-defence strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

‘These precision self-defence strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against USpersonnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17.

‘As a result of these attacks, one US citizen contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place; 21 US personnel suffered from minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty.’

It further said: ‘The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.’

The statement said that the US strikes were ‘separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict’.