US F-15, F-16 Fighters Strike Militia Groups on Iraq-Syria Border in Response to Drone Attacks
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle from the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) takes off from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, in support of regional security operations, April 30, 2021. (Zade Vadnais/U.S. Air Force)
27 Jun 2021
The U.S. carried out airstrikes Sunday on buildings on the Iraq-Syria border that are believed to be used by Iranian-backed militia groups to carry out drone attacks targeting American personnel and facilities in Iraq.
In a statement, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that President Joe Biden ordered the airstrikes. The facilities, he said, were being used by groups such as Kata ib Hezbollah and Kata ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
IVAN SEKRETAREV
In a breaking story on Sunday night in Washington, the Associated Press is reporting that the Biden Administration has hit Iranian-backed militia facilities that have been recently used to stage attacks on US troops in Iraq using “unmanned aerial vehicles.” The facilities are reported to be along the border between Iraq and Syria.
The Department of Defense put out the following statement for the press:
“At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region. The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the bor
U.S. military airstrikes target militias backed by Iran in Syria, Iraq Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
US targets Iranian militants in Syria
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. military launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Syria in retaliation for drone attacks, the Pentagon announced Sunday evening.
The strikes targeted sites that been used to launch drone attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement. Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries, Kirby said. Several Iran-backed militia groups, including Kata ib Hezbollah and Kata ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, used these facilities.
First Posted: Jun 28, 2021 12:41 AM EDT
Photo : Israel Palacio on Unsplash
U.S. military forces had launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, June 27, targeting militia groups behind the drone attacks on American personnel.
A Pentagon official called the airstrikes a defensive one, NBC News reported. In a statement, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the airstrikes focused on operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq.
The said facilities were utilized by at least two militias identified as Kata ib Hezbollah and Kata ib Sayyid al-Shuhada. Kirby noted that President Joe Biden had authorized the airstrikes.
Not specifying information on Russia
WASHINGTON, June 28. /TASS/. The United States notified other countries of Sunday airstrikes against pro-Iranian targets in the Syrian-Iraqi border region, Pentagon spokesperson Jessica McNulty told TASS. President Biden directed his Administration to revitalize and reinvest in U.S. alliances and partnerships. To ensure the force protection of Coalition force-contributing nations, and out of respect for our allies and partners in the region and beyond, we provided notification of our military action. I am not going to get into the details of our diplomatic engagements, she noted, without specifying whether Russia was notified.
According to McNulty, Iran-backed militias have conducted at least five one-way UAV attacks against facilities used by U.S. and coalition personnel in Iraq since April as well as ongoing rocket attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.