US forces in Iraq, Syria attacked 127 times since October 17
US soldiers and journalists stand near a crater caused by Iranian bombing at Ain Al-Asad air base in western Iraq. Photo: AP/Ali Abdul Hassan
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Pentagon Press Secretary, Pat Ryder, said on Tuesday that the US forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked nine times since January 4.
“American forces in Iraq and Syria have been subjected to 127 attacks since October 17, 2023,” Ryder said during a press briefing.
The US official explained that 52 attacks targeted military bases in Iraq and 75 bases in Syria.
Since the conflict between Hamas and Israel broke out on October 7, US forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked almost regularly with missiles and drones. Washington believes these attacks are carried out by pro-Iranian groups.
The United States deploys 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and about 900 in Syria within the framework of the International Coalition to Combat ISIS, which was formed in 2014.
Iraqi factions warned Washington against attacks targeting US bases in Syria and Iraq because of the support the United States provides to Israel in its war on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The war on the Gaza Strip has entered its 95th day, as the Israeli bombing of various areas in the northern and southern parts of Gaza continues in light of the worsening humanitarian and health catastrophe and the exacerbation of tension in the West Bank.