Rockets Fired at US Bases in Syria Following US Airstrikes

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Facts

  • According to a statement from US Central Command, rockets were fired at two US bases in Syria on Wed. evening, injuring three service members. It's not yet clear whether either base sustained damage. In response, US helicopters attacked vehicles used to launch some of the rockets, killing two or three suspected fighters behind the attack.
  • While it hasn't been confirmed which militant group is responsible for the attack, it comes the same day that the US military announced it conducted airstrikes in eastern Syria targeting facilities it said were being used by groups affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a paramilitary group considered a terrorist organization by Washington.
  • The initial US strikes in Syria's Deir az-Zor governorate - which killed at least six Syrian and foreign militants, according to the war monitor - were reportedly ordered by Biden to "protect and defend" US troops following an Aug. 15 attack on US forces.
  • The Aug. 15 drone strike was suspected to have been launched by Iranian-backed militias and targeted the al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria, which is used by the US military and its partners.
  • Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the American strike, saying that it was "against the people and infrastructure of Syria." He also denied that Iran had any link to the targeted facilities, reportedly including the Ayash camp which is run by the Fatemiyoun group, comprised mainly of Shi'a fighters from Afghanistan.
  • According to the US, the Russian military was notified shortly before the airstrikes, which reportedly hit nine bunkers used as ammunition depots and logistical supply facilities.

Sources: BBC News, CNBC, Washington Post, Guardian, France 24, and NBC.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Post. The recent events make one thing clear above all: It's time for the US to return to a credible and serious policy for Syria and the entire Middle East. Assad, with his partner Russia, is still committing terrible human rights crimes against millions of Syrians, and as long as Washington allows the Syrian regime, Tehran, and Moscow to dominate the country, Syrians will continue to suffer.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by People Dispatch. It's bizarre for the US to pretend to defend itself in Syria when its presence in the country is actually illegal - unlike that of Russia and Iran. By occupying parts of Syria, the US is not concerned with the fight against the so-called Islamic State, but primarily with control over Syria's oil and gas. Only if the US and its partners leave Syria will the country be able to find lasting peace again.