The United States military has carried out an airstrike in Syria against Iranian-backed militias on Thursday. In an apparent military move, the strike was issued in response to recent rocket attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq.
According to some independent sources, 17 pro-Iranian militia fighters were killed in the airstrike.
Under the new directives of Joe Biden, the U.S. Army has carried out airstrikes against the installations of Iranian-backed militia in eastern Syria.
This is the first attack ordered by U.S. President Joe Biden since he assumed office.
Pentagon Press Secretary, John Kirby has confirmed the attacks by the U.S. military and pronounced it a befitting response to the recent attacks, as there is a continuous threat to the U.S. interests in the region.
The attacks send a clear message that Biden will not show any leniency when it comes to protecting U.S. interests.
The F15 fighter jets have been used to strike and destroy the bases of the militia groups Kait’ib Hezbollah and Kait’ib Sayyid al Shuhada.
Earlier this month, three rockets were fired by the militia groups at the Erbil International Airport where a complex of the US-led coalition is located. Two rockets fell on a residential area near the airport.
Then the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked with rockets on February 22 and two rockets landed in the Green Zone. The place is a high-security zone with several diplomatic offices.
In the attack, one rocket hit the Iraqi National Security headquarters, which is in the proximity of the US Embassy.
The attacks by Iranian-backed forces had intensified after the killing of the Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
The Iranian-led militia has intensified their operations and is directly attacking the US military and diplomatic buildings in Iraq.
The attack was provocative as it left one dead and several injured including local citizens and foreigners. It was a severe attack in the last few months that damaged military facilities.
After 2019, there have been several attacks on the sensitive sites, which are carried out by the Iranian-backed militia groups and Baghdad is among the worst-hit areas.
The strikes by the US military are targeted to deter militia groups that are attacking the US forces in Iraq.
