Five rockets launched from Iraq toward US occupation base in Syria
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A US occupation military base in Syria came under attack as five rockets were launched from Iraq toward Syria, the first in months.
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Bradley fighting vehicles are parked at a US occupation military base at an undisclosed location in Northeastern Syria, November 11, 2019. (AP)
At least five rockets were launched from Iraq toward Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi sources told Reuters.
Reportedly, the rockets were launched from Zummar, Iraq, toward a US occupation base in northeastern Syria.
This attack is highly significant as it is the first in two months after the Iraqi Resistance stopped launching attacks against the US occupation forces in Syria in February after they had started in October in light of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
A Pentagon report in mid-January revealed that the US occupation forces in Syria and the US forces stationed in Iraq came under attack 140 times since October 17 as part of the ongoing regional Resistance efforts to build pressure against the US and "Israel" for accepting a ceasefire in Gaza.
Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh underlined that the attacks had been "persistent and alarming."
"To date, there have been approximately 140 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria: 57 attacks in Iraq and 83 attacks in Syria," she stated.
The Pentagon has reported a significant toll on its personnel, with nearly 70 military members wounded and one non-combatant contractor losing their life as a result of these attacks. The intensifying Resistance operations in Syria and Iraq have raised concerns about the security of US forces deployed in the region.
Unwelcome US forces
The attacks stopped in light of talks regarding the future of the unwelcome US forces in Iraq.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the United States and Iraq are on the verge of engaging in discussions regarding the future of the US forces in Iraq.
The talks, facilitated by a higher military commission (HMC) formed last summer, will center on the next phase of the US-led international coalition, a US official told CNN.
The Iraqi Resistance's operations against the US forces have proven to be potent, with CNN reporting that the recent airstrikes launched by the US against local Resistance groups made the discussions more important.
An agreement reportedly came to fruition on Tuesday, and after a meeting at the White House, US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani revealed that they would work together to ensure the withdrawal of a US-led coalition in the country.
A joint statement by Biden and al-Sudani declared that they discussed the "natural evolution" of the coalition "in light of the significant progress that has been made in ten years" and that they would continue to look into issues like ISIS (Daesh), support for the Iraqi government, and boost Iraqi security forces.
"The two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end," the statement noted.
