US responds strongly after attacks on bases in the Middle East

The US deployed the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford and support ships to the eastern Mediterranean after Hamas attacked Israel (Photo: Reuters).

"Today, at the direction of President (Joe) Biden, US military forces conducted defensive strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates," the US Department of Defense said in a statement on October 27.

"These precision defensive strikes were a response to a series of unsuccessful attacks by Iranian-backed militia groups against US personnel in Iraq and Syria beginning on October 17," the US Department of Defense added.

According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the attacks were carried out on the orders of President Biden.

"Iranian-backed attacks against US forces are unacceptable and must stop. If attacks by Iranian proxies against US forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further measures necessary to protect our citizens," Austin warned.

The attack took place at around 4:30 a.m. on October 27 in Syria near Abu Kamal, a Syrian town on the border with Iraq, and was carried out by two F-16 fighter jets, a senior US official said.

US officials confirmed that the targets attacked were weapons and ammunition storage facilities.

The US Department of Defense said the US strikes were not related to the Hamas-Israel conflict, and affirmed that Washington does not seek to escalate the conflict in Palestine.

"These narrowly tailored strikes were in self-defense and were intended solely to protect US personnel in Iraq and Syria. They were separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and do not represent a change in our approach to the Hamas-Israel conflict," the US Department of Defense said.

However, there are growing concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread across the Middle East and make US forces at bases in the region targets for attack.

“What we want is for Iran to take very specific actions, directing their militias and proxies to withdraw,” the US defense official said.

Major bases used by US forces in the Middle East (Graphic: Aljazeera).

The Pentagon announced on October 26 that more than 900 US troops have arrived or are on their way to the Middle East to bolster air defenses for US forces there. This move brings the total number of US troops in the region to thousands of members.

The US currently has about 2,500 troops deployed in Iraq and about 900 in Syria. In addition, the US has also sent two aircraft carrier strike groups along with a series of combat vehicles and soldiers to the Middle East after Hamas attacks on Israel in the past 3 weeks.

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said the move was in response to repeated attacks on US and allied troops at bases in Iraq and Syria, specifically at least 12 times in Iraq and 4 times in Syria in the past week. These attacks left at least 21 US troops injured, most of whom suffered traumatic brain injuries.

According to Mr. Ryder, in the early morning of October 26, attacks continued on US forces in Iraq, but were repelled. The Pentagon spokesman accused an armed group backed by Iran of being behind the attack.

"The attack on US forces at an air base in Erbil province, Iraq, failed. The attack caused no casualties, but caused minor damage to the infrastructure," said Mr. Ryder.

President Biden said on October 26 that he had sent a message to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning Iran not to attack the US military and that Washington would respond.

“My warning to the Ayatollah is that if they continue to attack those forces, we will respond, and he should be prepared. This has nothing to do with Israel,” Biden said.

Last week, off the coast of Yemen, a US warship shot down more than 10 drones and four cruise missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi forces.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/my-quyet-liet-dap-tra-sau-cac-cuoc-tan-cong-don-dap-vao-can-cu-o-trung-dong-20231027113039412.htm