U.S. conducts airstrikes on Iran-backed military facilities in Syria

In response to escalating tensions in the Middle East, the United States and Israel have carried out airstrikes targeting Iran-linked facilities in Syria to pre-emptively address military threats posed by Iran-backed terrorist organizations operating in Syria. This action comes amid the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, where street fighting has intensified.

According to Reuters, U.S. Defense Minister Llyod Austin announced on Wednesday that the U.S. military had launched attacks on military facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliated groups within Syria. These airstrikes were a response to multiple attacks on U.S. forces stationed in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. military deployed two F-15 jets to target armories belonging to these armed groups.

Dana Stroul, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, presented information during a House Foreign Affairs Committee session. She revealed that the militant group had launched a total of 41 attacks on U.S. forces since the initial attack on a U.S. base in Iraq and Syria on Oct. 17.

This recent U.S. attack on Iran-linked militant groups and their facilities marks the second military operation since Oct. 27. The first attack was a retaliatory response to drone and missile attacks by the militant groups, while the latest operation aimed to weaken the military capabilities of these groups.

On the same day, Israel also conducted airstrikes targeting facilities belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah near the Syrian capital, Damascus. These airstrikes resulted in the reported deaths of three fighters from the pro-Iranian militant group, according to information from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Additionally, the Israeli military reportedly targeted a radar station in southern Syria.

Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli army, which has entered the Gaza Strip and is engaged in street fighting, said in a press conference that the Israeli military is blocking tunnels adjacent to civilian settlements. “We have destroyed more than 130 tunnels since the start of the ground war,” Mr. Hagari said. “Hamas is losing control of the Gaza Strip, and 50,000 Gazans fled to the south.


pep@donga.com