Israel-Hamas war: US launches airstrikes to retaliate for attacks on bases in Iraq, Syria
U.S. military forces conducted an airstrike against a weapons facility in Syria Wednesday in retaliation for dozens of attacks against US bases in the region over the past several weeks.
U.S. troops in the Middle East have been attacked at least 42 times since mid-October, with two new attacks happening in the last 24 hours.
A U.S. defense official has confirmed the developments to Fox News on Wednesday. The recent attacks on U.S. bases began on October 17th, amid turmoil in the Middle East from the Israel-Hamas war.
American troops in Iraq and Syria has been repeatedly attacked by groups likely backed by Iran. Militants have been firing one-way drones and rockets.
The official explained that the newest attacks did not injure personnel or damage infrastructure. One of the incidents occurred at the al-Shaddadi base in Syria, while the other happened in Iraq.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III released a statement about the recent airstrikes on Wednesday.
"Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense strike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups," the statement read. "This strike was conducted by two U.S. F-15s against a weapons storage facility. This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates."
"The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests," the statement added.
Fox News Digital's Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Posted by Andrea Vacchiano
