US carries out air strikes in Syria against Iran-linked facilities
- US military targeted a training location and a safe house in Syria, US defence secretary says
- US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday left open the possibility of more strikes against Iran-linked groups if attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria don’t stop, hours after overnight US air strikes in Syria.
The US military carried out its third air strike in as many weeks in Syria late on Sunday, targeting a training facility near the city of Albu Kamal and a safe house near the city of Mayadeen.
The strikes came after at least 40 attacks against US and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces in recent weeks, as regional tensions mount over the Israel-Hamas war. At least 45 US troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds.
“These attacks must stop, and if they don’t stop, then we won’t hesitate to do what’s necessary, again, to protect the troops,” Austin told reporters at a news conference in Seoul.
Austin said the latest air strikes in eastern Syria targeted facilities used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and related groups.
“These strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the freedom of action of these groups, which are directly responsible for attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria,” Austin said.