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| US bombs Syria targets after deadly drone attack | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The US has about 900 troops operating in southern and eastern Syria | The US has about 900 troops operating in southern and eastern Syria |
| The US has carried out air strikes against Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria after a drone attack killed a US contractor, the US defence chief said. | The US has carried out air strikes against Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria after a drone attack killed a US contractor, the US defence chief said. |
| Eight pro-Iran fighters were killed, according to a monitoring group. | Eight pro-Iran fighters were killed, according to a monitoring group. |
| Defence officials said the air strikes happened on Thursday night, hours after the drone attack which US intelligence said was "of Iranian origin". | Defence officials said the air strikes happened on Thursday night, hours after the drone attack which US intelligence said was "of Iranian origin". |
| US bases in north-east Syria have come under attack before, with the US responding with air strikes. | US bases in north-east Syria have come under attack before, with the US responding with air strikes. |
| Last August, the US bombed sites in eastern Syria which it said were linked to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) - its most powerful armed force - after rocket attacks on US troops there. | Last August, the US bombed sites in eastern Syria which it said were linked to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) - its most powerful armed force - after rocket attacks on US troops there. |
| Thursday night's air strikes were carried out on President Biden's orders "in response to... [the drone] attack as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC", US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said. | Thursday night's air strikes were carried out on President Biden's orders "in response to... [the drone] attack as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC", US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said. |
| He said they had targeted "facilities used by groups affiliated with... [the] IRGC". | He said they had targeted "facilities used by groups affiliated with... [the] IRGC". |
| The US defence department said the contractor had been killed and five US service personnel and a second contractor wounded when the drone struck a maintenance facility on a coalition base near Hasakah earlier in the day. | The US defence department said the contractor had been killed and five US service personnel and a second contractor wounded when the drone struck a maintenance facility on a coalition base near Hasakah earlier in the day. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a UK-based monitoring group - said eight Iranian-backed militiamen were killed in the air strikes, which it said targeted positions in al-Bukamal and al-Mayadeen in Deir al-Zour province, and Deir al-Zour city. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a UK-based monitoring group - said eight Iranian-backed militiamen were killed in the air strikes, which it said targeted positions in al-Bukamal and al-Mayadeen in Deir al-Zour province, and Deir al-Zour city. |
| Iran has not commented. | Iran has not commented. |
| About 900 US troops are operating out of bases in southern and eastern Syria, without the permission of the Syrian government, as part of the US-led global coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). | About 900 US troops are operating out of bases in southern and eastern Syria, without the permission of the Syrian government, as part of the US-led global coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). |
| They are tasked with preventing a resurgence of IS, whose militants once controlled large swathes of Syria before being defeated in 2019 following separate campaigns waged by US-backed Kurdish and Arab militia fighters and Iran- and Russia-backed pro-government forces. | They are tasked with preventing a resurgence of IS, whose militants once controlled large swathes of Syria before being defeated in 2019 following separate campaigns waged by US-backed Kurdish and Arab militia fighters and Iran- and Russia-backed pro-government forces. |
| The IRGC has built a substantial presence in Syria since the civil war began in 2011, sending hundreds of troops to advise President Bashar al-Assad's forces and to train and arm thousands of militiamen. | The IRGC has built a substantial presence in Syria since the civil war began in 2011, sending hundreds of troops to advise President Bashar al-Assad's forces and to train and arm thousands of militiamen. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Syrian civil war | Syrian civil war |
| Iran | Iran |
| Syria | Syria |