US troops are allegedly evacuating Syrian bases after being targeted by a huge wave of Iran-backed militia attacks, a new report claims.
American officials said that over 24 of its soldiers across Syria and Iraq have been injured in the past week as chaos threatens to descend across the Middle East.
A new report claims US is evacuating some of its Syrian bases as attacks increase (file picture)
GettyUS military vehicles on the move in August in Deir ez-Zor province in Syria[/caption]
USS Carney firing its first shot in defence of Israel as it downed a suspected missile launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last week
For the past week, Washington has complained that Tehran is stepping up its attacks on American targets using its regional proxies in revenge for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
White House spokesman John Kirby said that Iran was “actively facilitating” the assaults and “spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict”.
But a report from Tortoise Media claims that the US has been keeping “quiet” about the true scale of the attacks on their military bases in the region.
A Western intelligence source told the outlet: “From what we’re seeing, the attacks against them have gone through the roof around the region.”
The source added: “In north-east Syria, we’re hearing that the Americans have already had to evacuate around a dozen forward operating bases because they can’t protect them anymore.”
However, another anonymous US official told VOA News today that the US is not looking into evacuating any bases in the Middle East despite the rumours.
Since October 17, there have been at least 19 assaults on US bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria using drones and missiles, according to the Pentagon.
On Thursday, a US base at Kharab al-Jir in Syria was attacked for the second time in two days, while a base in western Iraq was also hit.
There are further reports of attacks today at the al-Asad base in Iraq.
Earlier this week, the US took new steps to protect its bases across the region and officials revealed they were leaving open the possibility of evacuations of military families if needed.
The measures reportedly include increasing US military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and hiking intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations.
The officials also said they would be beefing up defensive operations to counter potential incoming drones, rockets and missiles.
Early this morning, US warplanes struck two Iran-backed militia bases in eastern Syria in response to the targeting of their troops.
According to senior US military officials, the “precision” air strikes were carried out near Boukamal by two F-16 fighter jets.
They claimed to have hit weapons and ammunition depots that were connected to the Iran‘s Revolutionary Guard Corps and have been recently used to hit US bases.
The retaliation air strikes were intended to show Iran-backed militant groups that the US would not allow any threats to go unchallenged, officials claimed.
Tensions in the Middle East have soared since Israel declared war on Hamas after the terrorists unleashed hell on southern Israel during their bloody October 7 attacks that left some 1,400 Israelis dead.
Meanwhile, Israel has been relentlessly pounding the Gaza Strip from the air, with 6,000 Palestinians said to have been killed in the carnage.
Last night, the IDF said it launched its second “targeted” nighttime raid in a row as tanks, drones and helicopters smashed through the Gaza border, wiping out Hamas terror targets and infrastructure.
It comes as earlier this week, US officials reportedly told Israel to hold off on their expected full-scale ground invasion into Gaza.
The US allegedly asked for the delay so they have time to deliver a dozen advanced air defence systems to the region to protect their troops.
They are said to believe that their bases in the Middle East will become an even greater target to Iran’s terror proxies when Israel launches it full-scale invasion into the Gaza Strip.
Speaking of this morning’s air strikes, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, said they were in response to “unsuccessful attacks” by militia groups armed, equipped and directed by Iran.
He said that President Biden directed the strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.”
Iran is a key backer of Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad as well as Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.
Washington has already sent two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean and 2,000 Marines in a bid to help stabilise the region.
Last week, it fired its first shots in the defence of Israel when it downed a missile believed to have been launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
An official said the USS Carney shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles fired by the militia group in a nine-hour onslaught.
On Monday, four US officials said that Washington was preparing for the possibility of evacuating almost 700,000 Americans in Israel and Lebanon if the Gaza war escalates.
They stated it was a “worst case scenario” but that it would be “irresponsible to not have a plan for everything”, The Washington Post reports.
The concern inside Lebanon is Iran-backed Hezbollah who controls large swaths of the fragile country and has been throwing sporadic rockets towards Israel since October 7
Hezbollah has repeatedly promised to join the war in support of Hamas “when the time comes”.
American soldiers on patrol in the northeastern Syrian in 2020
AFPAn Israeli F-15 fighter tactical fighter aircraft flies along the border with the Gaza as Israel pounds the Gaza Strip[/caption]
AFPSmoke and fire rise from buildings as people gather amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike[/caption]
ReutersChildren cough as others rush to help the wounded inside Gaza[/caption]
APIsraelis take over as a Hamas rocket flies overhead[/caption]