Drone, rocket attacks hit two US occupation bases in eastern Syria

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen + Agencies
28 Oct 2023 00:13
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Al Mayadeen's sources confirm attacks on a couple of US occupation bases in Syria with drones and rockets.

Al-Tanf US occupation base in southern Syria on October 22, 2018 (AP)

Al Mayadeen's sources reported on Friday that the US occupation al-Omar field base and Kharab al-Jir airport in eastern Syria were targeted with drones and rockets.

Earlier today, al-Omar oil field northeast of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, was hit by rocket attacks. Sources revealed to Al Mayadeen that the US occupation base was targeted with six rockets fired from the desert between the cities of al-Mayadeen and al-Bukamal.

In a related context, a US defense official said on Friday that US forces in Iraq shot down an attack drone a few kilometers away from Ain al-Assad Air Base.

"At approximately 0700 EDT on 27 OCT[ober], US forces engaged a one-way attack drone a few kilometers from Al-Assad Air Base, Iraq, and successfully shot it down without further incident," the official said in a statement to Sputnik.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the drone attack, confirming a direct hit.

The Pentagon confirmed that two US F-16 fighter jets had carried out strikes against two targets in eastern Syria in response to attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria.

The targets, according to the Pentagon, were ammunition and weapons depots allegedly belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

However later, an informed security source denied to Unews agency reports of an American strike targeting sites belonging to the IRGC in east Syria, confirming that there exists no IRGC bases or centers operating in that region.

Further commenting on media claims, the source said that Iran's involvement in Syria is solely based on providing consultancy services, which comes at the official request of the Syrian government.

Confirming Unews' report, The Wall Street Journal, citing a US defense official, revealed that the US army did not conduct raids where it had determined as being the launch sites, adding that strikes were carried out around two Syrian outposts as a message to Resistance group that the United States will respond to operations against its forces.

Commenting on the airstrikes, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed that Washington does not seek an escalation, stressing that operations against its forces "must stop".

“The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop,” Austin said. “Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them.”

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq had claimed responsibility for over 15 operations targeting US occupation bases in Iraq and Syria since October 7 in support of Palestinians. According to the White House, the attacks resulted in the wounding of over 30 American military personnel.