U.S. Launches Airstrikes In Iraq And Syria Following Militia Drone Strikes That Killed 3 Soldiers

 

Pentagon logo is seen ahead of a press conference at the Pentagon January 28, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia

Retaliatory U.S. airstrikes are underway in Iran and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and Iranian-backed militia targets, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command, further ratcheting up military tension in the Middle East after a drone strike conducted by the militants killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded more than 40 on Sunday.

More than 85 targets were struck in the offensive including control operations centers, intelligence centers, unmanned aerial vehicle storages and munition supply chain facilities of “militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces,” U.S. Central Command said.

The strikes are likely the beginning of a larger attack that will be carried out against Iran-backed militia targets, two unnamed officials told CNN.

The Biden administration has indicated it wants to deter further attacks from militia members while avoiding a full-scale conflict with Iran, which denied involvement in the drone attack that killed three U.S. service members.

President Joe Biden, who attended the dignified transfer of the fallen soldiers, acknowledged the airstrikes in a statement Friday, saying the offensive will continue “at times and places of our choosing” and that the U.S. doesn’t seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.

BIG NUMBER

160. That’s the number of attacks militia groups have made on U.S. military facilities since October, according to multiple reports.