Rocket attacks in Syria injure 3 American service members

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, Texas (AA) - Three US service members stationed in Syria were injured in two separate rocket attacks Wednesday.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the attacks targeted housing facilities for American troops in the region.

CENTCOM said the injuries to all three service members were “minor.”

The US responded to the attacks with a series of airstrikes from Apache helicopters that destroyed three vehicles and the equipment used to launch some of the rockets. CENTCOM said the American airstrikes killed several of the suspected Iran-backed militants believed to be responsible for the rocket attacks.

“We are closely monitoring the situation,” said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla in a statement. “We have a total spectrum of capability to mitigate threats across the region, and we have every confidence in our ability to protect our troops and Coalition partners from attacks.”

The two US military bases that came under siege are located in northeastern Syria at Conoco and Mission Support Site Green Village.

The rocket attacks began around 7.20 p.m. (1620GMT) local time. CENTCOM did not indicate whether either of those locations suffered damage to buildings or equipment.

The entire incident, including the militant rocket attacks and the US airstrike response, lasted roughly two hours.

The US does not know which militant group was behind the attacks.

Earlier Wednesday, the US launched airstrikes in Syria targeting ammunition depots and logistics supply bunkers used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The airstrikes were ordered by President Joe Biden in retaliation for a series of attacks at US military facilities in Syria on Aug. 15.

Enemy drone attacks were carried out near Al-Tanf Garrison and rocket fire targeted areas near the Green Village base. No casualties were reported.

“The US strikes targeted infrastructure facilities,” said CENTCOM communication director Col. Joe Buccino.

The US and its enemies in Syria have been trading attacks for the better part of two weeks with neither side backing down.

"Part of it’s an accumulation. We don’t want Iran to draw the wrong conclusion that they can continue just doing this and get away with it," Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said in an interview with NBC News. "But part of it was also the nature of the attacks on the 15th."

"The fact that they were coordinated against two US facilities at the same time. The fact that we believe we have Iran dead to rights on attribution, that the (drone) parts that we’ve collected, for example, traced directly back to Tehran," Kahl continued. "I think our concern was that this might be an indication that Iran intends to do more of this and we wanted to disabuse them of any sense that that was a good idea."

While the US withdrew troops from Afghanistan last year, the American military still maintains a presence in Syria of roughly 900 troops to support the Syrian Democratic Forces in their battle against Daesh/ISIS and its allies.

In July, the US military said an American airstrike in Syria killed Maher al-Agal, a senior Daesh/ISIS leader who is believed to be one of the top five leaders of the terrorist organization in Syria.

US officials have accused Iranian-backed militant groups of conducting strikes targeting bases that house American forces in Syria and Iraq.

Iranian officials have said that their country had no role in those incidents.