WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States on Thursday launched airstrikes in Syria against facilities used by Iranian-backed militias. The Pentagon said the bombings were in retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq in the middle of this month that killed a civilian contractor and injured a US military officer and other coalition soldiers.
The airstrike was the first military action undertaken by the government of President Joe Biden, which in its first weeks has emphasized its intention to focus more on the challenges posed by China, even as threats persist in the Middle East. Biden’s decision to launch an attack in Syria does not appear to indicate an intention to expand the involvement of the US military in the region, but rather to show determination to defend his troops in Iraq.
“I’m sure what target we hit, we know what we hit,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters who flew with him from California to Washington shortly after the attack. “We’re sure that target was used by the same Shia fighters who carried out the attacks, ”referring to the February 15 rocket offensive in northern Iraq in which a civilian contractor was killed and a US soldier and members of the coalition were injured.
Austin stated that he recommended that Biden take this action.
“We said several times that we would respond according to our times,” commented the defense secretary. “We wanted to be sure of the connection and we wanted to be sure that we had the right targets.”
Hours earlier, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US actions were a “proportionate military response” implemented along with diplomatic measures, including consultations with coalition allies.
“The operation sends an unequivocal message: President Biden will act to protect US and coalition personnel. At the same time, we have acted deliberately with the aim of de-escalating the general situation in eastern Syria and Iraq. “
Kirby said the US strikes “destroyed several facilities at a border checkpoint used by various groups of Iranian-backed fighters,” including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. Washington has held Kataib Hezbollah responsible for several previous attacks on US personnel and interests in Iraq.
No further details were available at the moment.
“At this time we cannot give you an accurate attribution as to who was responsible for these attacks, which groups, and I am not going to go into the tactical details of each weapon that was used here,” Kirby commented. “Let the details be completed and finalized. investigations, and when there is something more to say, we will say it. “
A little-known Shiite militia group calling itself the Saraya Awliya al-Dam, or Brigade of the Blood Guardians in Arabic, claimed responsibility for the February 15 bombing. A week later, a rocket attack in Baghdad’s Green Zone appeared to target the US embassy compound, but there were no injuries.
This week, Iran claimed it has no ties to the Bloodguard Brigade.
