Iran facilitated drone attack on US' al-Tanf military base in Syria: Report

United States officials believe that Iran was behind a drone attack at a Syrian military outpost last week. Speaking to the Associated Press, the officials reckoned that at least five drones were used to strike Syria's al-Tanf military base, albeit they failed to cause any casualties. Notably, the al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria houses scores of US Troops that train Syrian forces on patrols to counter Islamic State militants. 

Speaking to AP on Monday, US officials said that they are certain that Tehran resourced and encouraged the attack, although the drones weren’t launched from Iranian soil. He said that all the drones were explosive-laden and struck both American and Syrian sides of the al-Tanf garrison. It is worth mentioning that since 2014, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been reportedly supplying UAVs to its proxies in at least four countries-- Lebanon, Iraq, Gaza and Yemen-- all mired in conflict. In Syria, the hardliner administration backs the Bashar al-Assad administration and has provided strategic training to the Syrian Arab Army.

'Complex, coordinated and deliberate attack': Pentagon

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said that it was a “complex, coordinated and deliberate attack”, similar to what the US has been witnessing from other Islamic militants. While he stopped short of providing any further information so as to how the USA will retaliate, Kirby asserted that the security of troops remains to be their top-most priority. 

“The protection and security of our troops overseas remain a paramount concern for the secretary,” Kirby said, referring to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, “and that if there is to be a response, it will be at a time and a place and a manner of our choosing, and we certainly won’t get ahead of those kinds of decisions.”

Furthermore, the small US military base at al-Tanf is the only American facility located in Syria and not in Syrian Kurdish-held areas. Most of the 1,000 US troops in Syria are based in the eastern regions. The American troops continue to maintain their presence in the country as a part of ongoing efforts to prevent the Islamic State from regaining territory inside the country. 

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)