Drone attack targets US troops at US base in Syria, initial assessment suggests no US injuries

 

A "deliberate and coordinated" attack utilizing drones and indirect fire targeted US troops at the US base at At-Tanf in Syria, close to the border with Jordan, on Wednesday, according to US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East.

The initial assessment is that there were no injuries as a result of the attack, but the battle damage assessment is ongoing.

"We maintain the inherent right of self-defense and will respond at a time and place of our choosing," Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for Central Command, said in a statement.

The US maintains approximately 900 troops in Syria, largely split between the At-Tanf base and the country's eastern oil fields.

The base sits within a 20-square-mile deconfliction zone near the Syrian border with Jordan, which was established by Russia and the US-led coalition to prevent the two sides from coming into accidental contact. The area has seen heavy fighting in recent years between US forces and ISIS, which has held a foothold in the area.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. However, Iranian-backed Shia militias in the region, have frequently targeted US troops in Syria and Iraq.