"The US carried out an airstrike on a weapons warehouse in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias in retaliation for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing US troops in the region. For the past several weeks, the US used F-15 fighter jets to conduct airstrikes on the weapon storage facility near Molon in Deror, reportedly used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups.
The Pentagon announced on Wednesday, 'The president has no higher priority than the safety of US personnel, and he directed today's action to make clear that the US will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,' Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
A senior military official said that the facility located in My Salon, Syria, is believed to have housed weapons used in many of the airstrikes that have taken place against US forces in the region. The official added that they are very certain Wednesday's strike did not involve civilian loss.
The precision strike was deliberate and designed not to escalate the conflict in the region. A deconfliction phone line linking US military personnel to Russian forces in Syria was used to let them know about the attack. This is the second time in less than 2 weeks that the US has bombed facilities used by the militant groups, many operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which US officials say have carried out at least 40 such attacks since October 17.
On October 26, a US F-15 and 2 F-16 used precision-guided munitions to strike two facilities linked to Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria. The latest US strike was designed to take out supplies, weapons, and ammunition in an effort to erode the abilities of the Iranian-backed militants to attack Americans based in Iraq and Syria.
It reflects the Biden administration's determination to maintain a delicate balance. The US wants to hit Iranian-backed groups suspected of targeting the US as strongly as possible to deter further aggression, possibly fueled by Israel's war against Hamas, while also working to avoid further inflaming the region and provoking a wider conflict. US strikes on October 27 also targeted facilities in Syria, and officials at the time said two sites were affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
When asked why those locations in Syria were chosen, since many of the attacks have happened in Iraq, officials said the US went after storage sites for munitions that could be linked to the strikes on US personnel. The US has often avoided bombing sites in Iraq in order to lessen the chances of killing Iraqis or angering Iraq's leaders."
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