The US military has carried out air strikes against facilities utilized by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Deir Ezzor, Syria on Tuesday.
US military’s Central Command has said in a statement that the President Biden had ordered the air strikes which were aimed for protection of US forces from attack by Iran-backed groups.
According to the statement of US military’s Central Command, the strikes were “proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties”.
However, the statement of US military about the airstrikes did not mention any casualties or whether the strikes were made through manned or unmanned aircrafts.
US has previously struck Iran-backed forces in Iraq and Syria. The United States hit operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq in June last year.
US has almost 900 troops in Syria, mostly in the country’s east. US had first deployed its forces in Syria during the Obama administration’s campaign against Islamic State, whilst partnering with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
During the Syria war, Iran-backed groups had established a foothold in Syria in support of President Bashar Assad. Iran-backed groups have been concentrated in Deir Ezzor province, where they get supplies from Iraq through the Al-Bukamal border crossing, according to media reports.
