US Airstrikes Target Iran-Backed Militias in Syria

At least 17 people were killed in a US airstrike on a route used by Iran-backed militias in Syria. The strike targeted three trucks carrying explosives and was carried out in response to rocket attacks on US facilities in Iraq.

US fighter jets bombed several positions at a border control point between Iraq and Syria early Friday, March 26, that were used by Iran-backed militant groups. It is reported that groups such as Hezbollah’s wing and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada used this route to transport weapons and ammunition.

The Pentagon described the operation as a response to continuous rocket fire on US facilities and centers. According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory, the death toll is high, with at least 17 militias killed in the operation.

John Kirby, spokesman for the US Defense Department (Pentagon), announced without providing details that the operation was carried out on the orders of Joe Biden and due to attacks by Iran-backed militias on US facilities and positions on the eastern borders of Syria and Iraq. He did not provide information about casualties or deaths.

The Syrian Human Rights Observatory (based in London) is a network of Syrian activists opposed to Assad’s regime. Due to news blackouts in Syria, the data from this organization cannot be independently verified.

In recent weeks and months, US positions in Iraq have been subject to rocket attacks. Washington holds the Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraqi popular mobilization) and affiliated subsidiaries responsible for such attacks.

In a rocket attack on Erbil Airport that occurred some time ago, one foreign national was killed and five civilians and one US soldier were wounded. A group calling itself “Guardians of Blood” claimed responsibility for the attack. Iran denied any involvement or participation in the Erbil Airport attack.

In late February, the Balad military base, which houses US soldiers and contractors, was struck for the nth time by three Katyusha rockets.

This base is located 64 kilometers north of Baghdad and south of Salah al-Din Province and has previously been hit by mortar or rocket fire.

Source: DW