US launches air raids on 'IRGC-linked' areas in east Syria

• 

The US occupation forces in Syria said early Wednesday they carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria on areas it claimed are used by groups linked to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

The strikes "took proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties," the US military's Central Command said.

CENTCOM did not identify the targets nor offer any figures killed in the strikes that the military said came at the orders of US President Joe Biden.

"Today's strikes were necessary to protect and defend US personnel," CENTCOM spokesperson Colonel Joe Buccino claimed in a statement.

Buccino underlined that the offensive was in response to an attack that took place on August 15, which was allegedly launched by "Iran-backed groups" in Syria against a US occupation forces post in Al-Tanf region. CENTCOM claimed that the attack did not result in any casualties or damages.

"These precision strikes are intended to defend and protect US forces from attacks like the ones on August 15 against US personnel by Iran-backed groups," the statement read.

"The US strikes targeted infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's [IRGC]," it claimed.

According to Iranian media, martyr Alijani, a graduate of the Imam Hussain Military College of the IRGC, is one of the combat engineering cadres of the 'Amir Al-Mu'minin' college for Military Sciences of the Revolution Guards Ground Force.

Deir Ezzor is a highly important region for the US occupation forces, as it lies on the borders with Iraq and contains vast oil fields. 

The Syrian Oil Ministry revealed earlier this month that the US occupation forces loot the majority of Syria's oil, knowing that the daily production of the eastern oil fields is 80.3 thousand barrels.

Read next: The US is on a looting spree of Syrian oil, second theft in 24 hours

It is noteworthy that Syrian state media has accused over and over again the US and the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) armed groups of occupying areas in the vicinity of oil-rich fields, smuggling resources to Iraq, and then siphoning them out.

The United States has been for years supporting SDF militias against Damascus, and the US-backed forces are currently occupying parts of the provinces of Al-Haskah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The actions carried out by the United States constitute state piracy with the aim of plundering Syria's oil resources and depriving the Syrians of their own resources amid a harsh economic situation caused largely by the occupiers, the Americans themselves.

Check out: The US, a bandit in Syria