US says it bombed Iran-aligned forces in Syria after drone attack killed US contractor

Saturday, March 25, 2023

The US said it launched air strikes on Syrian groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Thursday, March 23 as retaliation for an earlier drone strike on a Coalition base.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK organization, reported “air raids killed three Syrian troops, 11 Syrian fighters in pro-government militias and five non-Syrian fighters who were aligned with the government.”

Iran has not released a statement regarding the strikes.

The US alleges the drone, which struck the Coalition base was Iranian-made; the nation also said the drone attack killed a US contractor and wounded four US soldiers and another contractor at the base, close to Al-Hasakah.

Following the US strike there were additional, retalitory strikes. A US official confirmed with CNN that two subsequent attacks were made: “On the evening of March 24th, two attacks targeted U.S. and coalition forces in Syria. At 10:39 p.m. Syrian local time, multiple rockets targeted coalition forces at Mission Support Site Conoco.” Less than an hour later, “at approximately 11:23 p.m. Syrian local time when three one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles targeted Green Village. Two of the three unmanned aerial vehicles were struck down by coalition air defense systems.” Some of the estimated 900 US soldiers based in Syria are housed in Green Village.

US President Joe Biden clarified the US does not want an open conflict with Iran but vowed to “forcefully protect our people.” He went on to say “We’re going to continue to keep up our efforts to counter terrorist threats in the region.”

The US strikes come just over two weeks after the House voted against a resolution to withdraw troops from Syria. The resolution was sponsored by Representative Matt Gaetz, who said “Congress has never authorized kinetic participation of U.S. Armed Forces in Syria.” The vote was 321–103 against the resolution. Representative Gregory Meeks argued against the resolution by saying “This measure forces a premature end to our mission at a critical time for our efforts.”

The United States has about 900 service men and women stationed in southern and eastern Syria as part of the international Operation Inherent Resolve. The US does not have Syrian authorization for the troops’ deployment.

The Syria government has historically opposed U.S. military presence in Syria. In 2022 the Syrian government demanded the U.S. withdraw its troops. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said at the time; “The American side must immediately and unconditionally withdraw its military forces that are present on the territory of Syria illegally, refrain from stealing and smuggling Syrian oil and wheat, and lift the cover and protection for armed separatist groups and armed terrorist groups that are present in the illegal American military base ‘Al-Tanf.'”

Al Jazeera reported that after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021 the U.S. assured leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that they would not be withdrawing from Syria as they had Afghanistan. Kino Gabriel, previously a spokesperson for the SDF, told Al Jazeera: “They [the Americans] were very strong [sic] to make it clear that this is not the same as Afghanistan.”

The U.S. has used military force in Syria since 2014, when then-President Barack Obama first authorized air strikes against IS targets in Syria. In 2015 the U.S. helped establish the SDF, which the U.S. military continues to support by providing training and arms. Three U.S. Presidents from both political parties have now used military force in Syria.

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