 "US troops in the Middle East have sustained a second attack in a week. Image used for representative purpose/AP")
United States troops stationed in northeastern Syria were targeted by a drone attack, a US official told Reuters on Friday (August 9). Initial reports indicate that no injuries were sustained.
This incident marks the second recent attack on US forces in the Middle East, as the region braces for potential escalations involving Iran and its allies.
Earlier in the week, five US personnel were injured when two Katyusha rockets struck the Ain al-Assad airbase in western Iraq. The Pentagon has attributed this attack to Iran-backed proxy groups.
Washington maintains a military presence of 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in neighbouring Iraq, with their stated mission focused on advising and assisting local forces in preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State (IS), which had captured significant territory in both countries in 2014 before being pushed back.
According to _The Intercep_t, US and allied forces have been attacked at least 173 times since October 7. Of these, 102 attacks happened in Syria, 70 happened in Iraq, and one attack took place in Jordan.
The strike in Jordan in January had led to a round of escalatory US counterattacks against Iranian-allied targets. Consequently, Iran’s use of proxied subsided.
The latest round of strikes in Iraq and Syria suggest a resumption of low-level war between the US and Iran’s proxies in the Middle East.
This has a lot to do with Israel widening the Gaza war, attacking targets in Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen. Owing to that, Iran-backed partners have allegedly resumed attacks on US outposts across the region.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWith inputs from Reuters