At least one person has been killed and six others injured after a kamikaze drone struck a maintenance facility at the Hasaka military base in northwestern Syria. The U.S. Department of Defense has reported the attack, which took place this Thursday at 13.38 local time, specifying that the dead is a contractor, while the injured are five U.S. service members and another contractor. Four of the wounded have been transferred to Iraq for medical treatment. In addition, all the victims are U.S. nationals, according to the statement.
U.S. intelligence services consider the attack to be of Iranian origin, so Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the Army to conduct air strikes against facilities linked to Tehran. “At the direction of the President, (Joe) Biden, I have authorized U.S. Central Command forces to conduct precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria,” Austin said.
The defense secretary explained that the retaliatory strikes are targeting facilities used by “groups affiliated” with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). “The airstrikes have been conducted in response to today’s attack, as well as a number of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” he has explained.
The Pentagon chief explained that these attacks “are intended to protect and defend U.S. personnel,” a statement read. “As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary steps to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” he said. “No group will attack our troops with impunity,” he added.