(Al Jazeera Media Network) The US military has carried out strikes against targets in Syria in what the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said was a response to recent attacks on US forces by “Iranian-aligned targets” in the country.
CENTCOM’s commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement early on Tuesday that the US military action sent a “clear” message to armed groups backed by Iran and operating in Syria.
“Attacks against US and coalition partners in the region will not be tolerated,” Kurilla said, describing attacks on US military personnel in Syria over the past 24 hours as “reckless”.
“These strikes will degrade the Iranian-backed groups’ ability to plan and launch future attacks,” CENTCOM said, adding that nine targets in two locations were hit in the US attacks.
The US has about 900 soldiers based in the eastern part of Syria and 2,500 more in neighbouring Iraq, whose stated mission is to advise and assist local forces battling to prevent a resurgence of the group known as ISIL (ISIS), which in 2014 seized large swaths of both Syria and Iraq but was later defeated in fierce fighting.
