The U.S. carried out airstrikes on Dec. 3 to defend U.S. forces in eastern Syria, the Pentagon said.
The operation destroyed three truck-mounted rocket launchers, mortars, an armored personnel carrier, and a T-64 tank. The strikes were intended to defend American forces at their outpost and not to intervene in the civil war in Syria, where a rebel group has seized Aleppo and is attacking Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad. Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder said that the “self-defense strike” took place after rockets and mortars were fired toward American troops.
“We’re still assessing who is operating these weapons, but do know that there are Iranian-backed militia groups in the area,” Ryder said. “There are also Syrian military forces that operate in the area.”
The strikes were the second time in recent days that the U.S. has used force to defend its troops in eastern Syria. On Nov. 29, A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, which have been repeatedly deployed to bolster airpower in the region since spring 2023, struck militants that were getting ready to launch rockets at the American position, Ryder said.
Videos have emerged online of A-10s flying low and popping flares in what is purported to be eastern Syria, though the U.S. military has not confirmed—or disputed—the veracity of those images. The DOD has made clear the objective of U.S. airstrikes was the self-defense of U.S. troops amid speculation online the targets were part of a broader military campaign.
“These self-defense actions successfully eliminated imminent threats to U.S personnel and were not linked to any broader activities in northwest Syria by other groups,” Ryder said. “Let me underscore that the U.S. mission in Syria remains unchanged as U.S. and coalition forces continue to focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
About 900 American troops are deployed in eastern Syria, where they advise and support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who are trying to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State militants.
”Our forces have fought alongside each other and bled alongside each other. But our focus in Syria remains the defeat ISIS mission,” Ryder said.
However the situation in Syria has become extraordinarily complicated as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, or HTS, an Islamist group supported by Turkey that opposes Assad, has mounted a surprise offensive against the Assad regime. The U.S. has sought to keep its distance from that conflict but has urged the Turkish-backed groups not to fire on SDF that are trying to evacuate Kurdish civilians from the battle area.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN the U.S. had “real concerns” about the goals of Hayat Tahrir. “At the same time, of course, we don’t cry over the fact that the Al Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure.”